CARNAGE IN NEWPORT: CARL BALL'S SHOCKING SEX OFFENSES REVEALED

In December 2001, a disturbing case unfolded at Cardiff Crown Court involving Carl Ball, a 30-year-old former steelworker from Newport, whose actions have left a trail of trauma and outrage. Ball was convicted of a series of heinous sexual offenses, including multiple indecent assaults on a teenage girl and a woman, crimes that have deeply scarred the victims and shocked the local community.

Judge David Wyn Morgan delivered a stern sentence, condemning Ball for his appalling treatment of the teenage victim. The judge stated, "You subjected a teenager to persistent acts of sexual degradation. You treated her as yours to use for your own sexual gratification. It was appalling." The court heard that Ball's behavior towards the teenage girl was characterized by relentless sexual abuse, with the jury finding him guilty of ten charges of indecent assault. Despite this, he was acquitted of two more serious charges related to her, including a sexual offence of a grave nature. Additionally, Ball was convicted by a majority verdict of raping the woman complainant and also found guilty of indecently assaulting her.

However, he was acquitted of nine other charges, which included allegations of rape, causing actual bodily harm, and committing a serious sexual offence against a second woman. The court's decision reflects the complexity of the case and the evidence presented. The judge ordered that upon his release, Ball must register as a sex offender for life, and his ten-year sentence is to run consecutively with a two-year sentence he is currently serving for burglary.

Throughout the trial, which lasted twelve days, Ball maintained his innocence, denying all charges. Prosecutor Gregory Bull described him as a dangerous individual with a split personality akin to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, who preyed on vulnerable women. Bull painted a grim picture of Ball's conduct, stating that he treated his victims as mere objects for his gratification, with some acts bordering on torture. The court was told that Ball used an aerosol to inflict severe injuries on one of his victims, highlighting the brutality of his assaults.

The case had a profound emotional impact on the victims, especially the teenage girl, who revealed she had attempted to take her own life. After the verdict, she expressed relief, saying, "Now, I know people believed me... Now he is behind bars." During the proceedings, defense counsel Peter Murphy argued that no reports were necessary given the inevitable nature of the sentence, citing Ball's history as a severe drug addict at the time of the offenses.

As the court concluded its judgment, the community in Newport was left to grapple with the disturbing details of Carl Ball's crimes, which have cast a long shadow over the town and its residents.