COLIN GUNTRIP FROM NEWTOWN SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES IN SHREWSBURY

In a case that has raised serious concerns about the handling of child abuse allegations, a judge expressed his disapproval of the police response to a young girl’s distressing complaint against Colin Guntrip, a man from Newtown.

Colin Guntrip, aged 46 and residing at Ffordd Croesawdy in Newtown, was convicted of engaging in sexual activities with a minor and subsequently sentenced to a total of three and a half years in prison. The court proceedings revealed a disturbing pattern of grooming that spanned several years, beginning in 2013, when Guntrip first established contact with the girl.

The court heard that it was not until 2017 that West Mercia Police finally interviewed Guntrip, and it was only in 2019 that formal charges were brought against him. This delay in the investigation and prosecution process has been a point of concern for the judiciary. Judge Peter Barrie, presiding over the case at Shrewsbury Crown Court, expressed his dismay at the police’s handling of the matter.

He remarked, “This might have come to an end when her mother found out what was happening and contacted the police. It is concerning to know that the police dealt with it by suggesting that her mother should take her phone away.” The judge found the case “troubling” because, despite the girl summoning the courage to speak out in July 2017, the police only interviewed her in August of that year, and Guntrip himself was not questioned until September 2017.

Furthermore, there was a significant delay of over a year before Guntrip was formally charged with serious offences in November 2019. The court also heard that in 2021, Guntrip pleaded guilty to a lesser set of charges but later attempted to withdraw his pleas, seeking to be tried as not guilty. His attempt was rejected by the court, which emphasized that he must stand by the pleas entered during the proceedings.

The victim, whose identity remains protected, was described as a young woman now in her twenties. The court was told that her ordeal began when she was a teenager, with the grooming starting in 2013. Russell Pyne KC, prosecuting, explained that the victim had approached an MP’s surgery about her situation approximately five and a half years prior, which led to her being advised to contact the police.

Pyne detailed how Guntrip initially sent the girl a friend request on Facebook, and they began communicating as friends. During their exchanges, Guntrip falsely claimed to be 22 and later 28, although he was actually 36 at the time. As their conversations progressed, Guntrip began requesting photographs, and because the girl believed he was one of the few people who genuinely cared for her, she started sending intimate images.

He became increasingly insistent, demanding more photos and issuing threats if she refused. He also made threats against her family, further intimidating her. When Guntrip was arrested in September 2017, authorities examined his electronic devices and discovered 36 photos of the victim, along with 18 images of children at or before puberty, and other images at the extreme end of the scale. The investigation also uncovered internet search terms indicative of his intent.

Despite having no prior convictions, Guntrip’s actions had a profound impact on the victim. Victim impact statements revealed her ongoing struggles with nightmares, sleepless nights, and feelings of isolation. She described her experience as living through “hell” and expressed that she still feels controlled by the trauma, mentioning that certain smells and songs trigger memories.

Judge Barrie described the victim as a “quiet, introspective 14-year-old schoolgirl” when Guntrip sent her a friend request, noting that he managed to manipulate her into believing he was a kind person who cared for her. This process, known as grooming, was identified as a key element of the case. The judge emphasized that Guntrip’s primary interest was to develop a sexual relationship with her, which left her in a “terrible state.”

In light of his mental health issues, the judge reduced Guntrip’s sentence, and he received a 20 percent reduction for his guilty plea. Ultimately, Guntrip was sentenced to three years and two months’ imprisonment for each of the four counts of sexual activity with a child, with all sentences to run concurrently. Additionally, he received sentences of nine months and four months for two counts of making indecent images of children, which also run concurrently with the main sentence.

Judge Barrie ordered that half of Guntrip’s prison term be served in custody, with the remaining half to be served in the community, reflecting the seriousness of his crimes and the ongoing risk to the public.