COLIN SMITH FROM LIVERPOOL SENTENCED FOR DECADES-OLD CHILD SEX ABUSE

In a case that has spanned over four decades, a 77-year-old man from Liverpool, Colin Smith, has been sentenced to nine years in prison after being convicted of multiple heinous crimes involving a young girl. The offences, which included molestation and rape, were committed against a seven-year-old girl during the early 1970s, when Smith was in his thirties. The court heard that Smith subjected his young victim to a series of sexual abuses over a period of three years, actions that have left deep scars on her life.

Smith’s criminal activities only came to light after the victim, now in her late forties, found the courage to come forward and contact the police last year. Her decision to speak out was driven by a desire to finally confront her past and seek justice. The case was brought before the court, where a jury found Smith guilty of 10 counts of indecent assault and one count of rape. The judge presiding over the case, Judge David Aubrey, QC, addressed Smith directly, stating, “Your past has caught up with you.”

During the sentencing, Judge Aubrey highlighted the grooming tactics used by Smith in the early 1970s. He warned the young girl that if she told her parents about the abuse, she would be sent to a “home for naughty children,” a threat that was used to silence her and maintain control. The judge emphasized the lasting impact of Smith’s actions, noting that the dark secrets he kept from his victim had haunted her throughout her life and continued to do so.

Smith, who resides on Elwyn Drive in Halewood, was described as suffering from ill health, which the court acknowledged would make imprisonment particularly challenging for him. His barrister, Trevor Parry Jones, suggested that the sentence might effectively serve as a life sentence for Smith due to his age and health issues. However, Judge Aubrey made it clear that the true life sentence was one that Smith had imposed on his victim. The judge stated, “In truth, she is serving a life sentence as a consequence of what you did to her for your own sexual gratification.”

He further remarked that Smith’s actions had left his victim profoundly damaged, and despite his age and frailty, the court recognized the enduring trauma inflicted. The judge concluded by affirming that the victim’s suffering was a direct result of Smith’s predatory behavior, which had forever altered her life and left her with emotional scars that would never fully heal.