DAVID LOCKWOOD OF ST OSYTH FAILS APPEAL OVER RAPE CONVICTION IN CHELMSFORD

In March 2011, David Lockwood, a sex offender from St Osyth, lost his appeal against a ten-year prison sentence for repeatedly raping a girl when she was between 13 and 14 years old. The father of four was originally convicted in December 2009 of three counts of rape, with the court hearing that the abuse occurred six years prior.

Lockwood, of Church Square, St Osyth, denied the allegations, claiming they were fabricated. However, evidence presented during the trial revealed that he had confessed to his wife that he had slept with the girl. On Wednesday, Lockwood, aged 43, attempted to challenge his convictions at London's Criminal Appeal Court, arguing that he did not receive a fair trial.

He contended that the jury had been misdirected by the trial judge in Chelmsford. His legal team argued that the convictions were unsafe because the judge should have advised the jury they could convict him of alternative counts of indecent assault if they believed he engaged in consensual sexual acts with the girl. The appeal was ultimately dismissed by the judges, who affirmed that the trial was fair and his convictions are sound.

Mrs Justice Dobbs stated, "If the jurors weren’t sure that the victim was raped, they would have found Lockwood not guilty." The court also noted that Lockwood's conduct during the crimes did not involve violence or threats. Judge Christopher Ball QC described the offending as a case of an adult overpowering a child, stating, "It was simply the man, the adult, overpowering the will of the child. She was not in a position to say no or to resist and you were able, for a few moments, to have your sexual pleasure with her."

The judge added that Lockwood should have taken responsibility for his actions instead of forcing the victim to testify in court. It was revealed that the girl did not disclose the abuse until she told her boyfriend when she was 16, and later confided in her mother in 2008, prompting her family to contact the police.

Professionally, Lockwood had trained as a motor mechanic and worked in Colchester before becoming an insurance salesman. He remains on the sex offenders’ register for life.