DAVID CHICK SENTENCED IN TREALAW FOR SEX OFFENCES AGAINST CHILDREN

In a case that has stirred strong emotions within the community of Trealaw, David Chick, aged 55, was found guilty of multiple serious sexual offences involving minors. The proceedings took place at Merthyr Crown Court, where Chick faced charges that included five counts of indecent assault, two counts of rape, gross indecency towards a child, and a charge of child cruelty. Despite denying all charges initially, the jury, composed of eight men and four women, deliberated for just over four hours before reaching a verdict.

They convicted Chick on five counts of indecent assault but acquitted him of the other charges, including the rape and cruelty allegations. The court subsequently sentenced him to a total of three years in prison. Additionally, the court mandated that Chick be placed on the sex offenders register for life, a measure that will prevent him from working with children in any capacity in the future.

Following the sentencing, a relative of one of Chick’s three victims—who are all under the age of 16 and therefore cannot be publicly identified—expressed her feelings about the outcome. She told the Echo that she was “disgusted and pleased” with the verdicts. She further commented, “I do not think the sentence was long enough but it’s something. If he had walked away from the court, I would have been gutted. It is going to take a long time to get over this. I never want any of us to have to go through anything like this ever again.”

Outside the courtroom, Chick’s sister, Linda Peel, addressed the media, dismissing the allegations as “all lies.” Meanwhile, defense counsel Hilary Roberts requested the judge, John Curran, to consider Chick’s health issues, including recent heart problems that might require a bypass operation, as well as his history of excessive drinking and the stress he was under at the time of the offences. The judge, however, declined to have a pre-sentence report prepared, stating that any information Chick might provide to probation officers would not necessarily be truthful.

Judge Curran described the case as “disturbing and most unpleasant,” emphasizing the impact on the victims. He criticized Chick for subjecting the children to the “indignity of court proceedings” and for calling them liars during cross-examination, highlighting the gravity and reprehensibility of the offences committed in Trealaw.