Chester-le-Street man jailed for 14 years for child rape and abuse

A MAN who raped and abused a child has been sentenced to 14 years in prison. Colin Willey, 50 years old, from Holly Crescent, Chester-le-Street, appeared at Teesside Crown Court. Prosecutor Amanda Rippon stated that Willey encouraged the girl to perform indecent acts on him, which eventually led to him raping her, until she summoned the courage to confide in her boyfriend. Willey's victim suffered significant emotional trauma, including attempting suicide and experiencing severe depression as a result of her abuse. The court was told that Willey forced the girl to testify during his trial, but he claimed his actions were not premeditated and that he did not derive any thrill from them. His defense noted that there had been no allegations against him for many years and that he expressed remorse, hanging his head in shame. A probation assessment classified Willey as a high-risk offender. He was sentenced to 14 years in total for two counts of rape, eight counts of indecent assault, and three counts of indecency with a child; some counts were only sample charges. Judge Tony Briggs described the damage caused as 'quite incalculable' and ordered Willey to register as a sex offender. Despite the severity of his crimes, Willey was noted to have been married and still in contact with his wife.