BENJAMIN MCCRIMMON FROM BLACON SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL ABUSE IN CHESTER

In a case that has shocked the community of Blacon, Benjamin McCrimmon, aged 29, was sentenced to six years in prison at Chester Crown Court for a series of serious sexual offenses committed against a young girl. The court heard that McCrimmon, who resides on Blacon Avenue, was found guilty of nine counts of indecent assault following a detailed trial that revealed disturbing details of his actions.

Prosecutor Matthew Corbett-Jones outlined to the court that McCrimmon had engaged in a pattern of grooming and sexual touching of the girl over a period of approximately one year. The grooming process was described as insidious, with McCrimmon gradually desensitizing the victim to his advances, to the extent that she believed his behavior was normal. As the abuse continued, the assaults became increasingly severe, causing lasting trauma.

During an earlier hearing, the victim’s impact statement was read aloud, revealing the profound psychological scars left by McCrimmon’s actions. She described suffering from recurring nightmares and experiencing heightened anxiety, which she attributed directly to the abuse. The victim also recounted how she would scream herself to sleep during her childhood, overwhelmed by the trauma she endured. She expressed that the abuse had significantly damaged her self-esteem, leading to difficulties in forming friendships and trusting others, issues she directly linked to her childhood experiences.

Defense lawyer Simon Mills argued that McCrimmon was under 18 at the time of the offenses, and urged the court to consider his age and circumstances. Mills highlighted that McCrimmon had been subjected to violence himself, including an incident where he was hospitalized after being assaulted by a man who confronted him with the allegations. He also mentioned that McCrimmon had faced community intimidation, which he reported to the police. Mills emphasized that McCrimmon had no prior criminal record related to sexual offenses and had maintained employment since leaving school. Additionally, he pointed out that McCrimmon’s father was seriously ill with terminal cancer, and that the defendant was unlikely to see him again.

Judge Roger Dutton, presiding over the case, expressed his view that McCrimmon had shown no remorse for his actions. He stated, “Benjamin McCrimmon, you have shown no remorse for what you have done because you still deny that you were responsible at all. You engineered situations where you could see her alone and touch her indecently. I do take into account your age at the time. You were a young person, but not a child. You were considerably older than your victim who was a child. You abused her on countless occasions and because of that you bear a heavy responsibility.”

Consequently, McCrimmon was sentenced to six years in prison. The judge also noted that if the offenses had been committed after the implementation of the Sexual Offences Act of 2003, the sentence might have been significantly longer.

Earlier in August 2014, McCrimmon was convicted by a jury of nine counts of indecent assault against the same girl, with the jury reaching a verdict in just over an hour. The jury, consisting of five men and seven women, found him guilty of touching the girl inappropriately and forcing her to perform sex acts. The court decided to adjourn sentencing to allow for comprehensive pre-sentence reports, given that McCrimmon was under 18 at the time of the offenses.

During the trial, the victim’s impact statement was again read, emphasizing her ongoing struggles with nightmares and anxiety. She described how her self-esteem issues, caused by the abuse, hindered her ability to make friends, a consequence she directly attributed to McCrimmon’s actions. The defendant denied the allegations, dismissing them as “rubbish” and “wrong,” and claimed to have been assaulted himself after being confronted with the accusations. The court was told that McCrimmon would be sentenced in the week beginning September 22, with the judge warning that he was facing a likely prison term due to the gravity of the crimes committed in Blacon.