ANDY WILSON JAILED FOR SEXUAL ABUSE IN GREAT LEVER

In March 2009, Andy Wilson, a man from Great Lever, was sentenced to prison for a prolonged campaign of sexual abuse against his stepdaughter, Bev. Over 11 years, he raped, physically assaulted, and sexually molested her, telling her she was his “special girl.”

At just 13 years old, Bev became pregnant with Wilson’s first child. During the following six years, she experienced three miscarriages and subsequently gave birth to two more of Wilson’s children.

Yesterday, during a hearing at Preston Crown Court, Judge Andrew Woolman described Wilson as a sexual predator and sentenced him to 15 years in prison. The judge stated, “You have a total lack of understanding about what you have done and I can’t see you are expressing any remorse. Only time will tell if your victims are able to survive this in one piece. You are a danger to any young girl.”

Wilson, who was 36 at the time and resided on Marlbrook Walk, Great Lever, went on trial in February. On the second day of proceedings, with the prosecution midway through their opening address, Wilson unexpectedly pleaded guilty to six charges: two counts of rape, two of attempted rape, one of indecent assault, and one of sexual intercourse with a girl under 13. He had already admitted to four other sex offences involving the same victims prior to the trial.

One of his victims was his stepdaughter, Miss Hitchen, who chose to waive her right to anonymity and spoke publicly about her experiences. She revealed that Wilson began abusing her at the age of eight, and the assaults grew increasingly severe, culminating in him raping Bev at age 11. From that point onward, the abuse became frequent and brutal.

Wilson’s arrest followed the coming forward of another victim last year, which also prompted Bev to find the courage to share her own account.

During the court proceedings, Wilson shocked those present by attempting to justify his actions. He instructed his defense lawyer to tell the judge that he was “not a sexual offender in the bushes, waiting to pounce.”

After sentencing, Bev expressed her relief: “What he did is absolutely disgusting. I’m just grateful it’s all over and I can get on with my life.” Wilson will be subject to a 10-year license upon release and will remain on the sexual offenders’ register for life. Additionally, he was disqualified from working with children.