BARRY BRITTON SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR CHILD RAPE IN SOUTHWARK

In July 2014, a 66-year-old man named Barry John Britton from Westminster was sentenced to life imprisonment at Southwark Crown Court after being convicted of raping a three-year-old boy. The heinous crimes came to light following a chance conversation between the boy's grandmother and the child himself. Specialist officers swiftly responded, arresting Britton at his home address. They collected statements from the family, seized evidence from his residence, and interviewed the young victim with the help of specially-trained officers.

Britton initially refused to cooperate with police, but sufficient evidence led to charges being filed against him. During his remand, Britton indicated his intention to change his plea to guilty, which was confirmed at a court hearing on 9 May. He pleaded guilty to two counts of oral rape and two counts of causing a boy under 13 to engage in penetrative activity.

The court sentenced Britton to life imprisonment with a minimum term of five years and ordered him to register as a sex offender for life. Detective Sergeant Tom Haines commented: “Barry John Britton is a predatory offender who befriended this family in order to abuse their child. Officers acted quickly and secured the evidence required to charge him with these serious offences. The family can now be assured that their son and other children are safe from this dangerous man and that he has been brought to justice.”