COLIN WICKS, LEE WICKS, AND TINA BUTCHER SENTENCED FOR HORRIFIC SEXUAL ABUSE IN GILLINGHAM AND MINSTER

On January 20, 2009, a chilling case involving the sexual abuse of young children culminated in the conviction and sentencing of three individuals from the Kent area, specifically linked to Chatham, Gillingham, and Minster. The defendants, Colin Wicks, aged 46, Lee Wicks, aged 41, and Tina Butcher, aged 42, were found guilty of a series of heinous crimes that spanned over a decade, involving the exploitation and assault of minors under the age of 14.

According to court records, the two brothers, Colin and Lee Wicks, engaged in a disturbing pattern of encouraging and participating in the sexual abuse of young girls. Their actions included acts of rape, indecency, and assault, with the abuse occurring between the years 1993 and 2005. The severity of their crimes was underscored by the fact that they committed more than 30 separate charges related to these sex attacks.

One particularly disturbing incident involved Lee Wicks’s then-girlfriend, Tina Butcher, who was implicated in helping him restrain and assault an eight-year-old girl. Court proceedings revealed that Butcher assisted Lee in pinning down the young victim during the assault. In another horrifying case, the brothers tied a young girl to a chair and forced her to perform a sexual act, illustrating the depravity of their conduct.

Throughout the trial, which lasted seven weeks, the jury heard detailed accounts of the abuse. One of the most alarming episodes took place in 2004 when Lee Wicks dragged a girl off her bicycle beneath the pier at Sheerness, Kent. The victim later testified that Wicks threatened to kill her if she disclosed what had happened. The case was brought to police attention after some of the victims, all female, confided in authorities about their experiences.

Despite the overwhelming evidence, the defendants denied any sexual activity with their victims. However, the court found sufficient proof to convict Lee Wicks of eight counts of rape, six counts of indecency with a child, nine counts of indecent assault, and one count of sexual assault. Colin Wicks was convicted on four counts of rape, one count of incitement to commit a serious sexual offence, three counts of indecency with a child, and one count of indecent assault. Tina Butcher received an eight-year prison sentence after being convicted of one count of rape.

Judge Phillip Statman presided over the case at Maidstone Crown Court and sentenced the three individuals to life imprisonment with a minimum term of nine-and-a-half years for each. It was also ordered that both Wicks brothers remain on the sex offenders register for life. The judge condemned their actions, stating that they had shown “not a shred of remorse” and had deprived their young victims of innocence and security during their most vulnerable years.

Following the sentencing, Detective Constable John Millham of Kent Police expressed his relief and satisfaction with the outcome. He emphasized that the lengthy and depraved nature of the crimes warranted the severe punishment handed down. Millham noted that the incarceration of the offenders would ensure that they no longer pose a threat to children, thereby making the community safer. He also highlighted the unprecedented number of victims and the prolonged duration of the abuse as factors that made this case particularly disturbing for law enforcement officials.