DAVID MAY FROM PLAISTOW AND STONY STRATFORD SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX ABUSE IN THE 1980S

In a recent development in a long-standing case of historical child abuse, David May, a man with connections to both Plaistow and Stony Stratford, has been sentenced to serve a total of 5.5 years in prison for offenses committed during the 1980s. The court proceedings revealed disturbing details about May's actions involving two young siblings, a boy and a girl, both under the age of ten at the time of the assaults.

According to court records, May was living in the same household as the victims' parents when the abuse occurred. The incidents involved indecent assault on both the male and female siblings, with the court sentencing May to 3.5 years for the assault on the boy and an additional two years for the assault on the girl, with the sentences to run concurrently. It is noteworthy that if the assault on the male victim had been tried under current legal standards, it would have been classified as rape rather than indecent assault, reflecting a more severe charge.

While the court's focus was on these two specific instances, it was also acknowledged that May engaged in grooming behaviors over a period of approximately two years. These additional acts of misconduct, which took place during the same timeframe, were not prosecuted due to limitations in evidence or legal constraints. Despite this, the court recognized the full extent of May's misconduct, which had long-lasting effects on the victims.

May chose not to testify during the trial, and the court found him guilty based on the evidence presented. The sentencing was finalized on April 4th, with the judge emphasizing the gravity of the offenses and the breach of trust involved. Throughout the proceedings, May maintained a stance of denial, shaking his head in the dock as the verdict was read.

It is important to clarify that David May, the convicted individual, is not to be confused with another person of the same name who is a private guitar tutor based in Chelmsford. The case involving the former children’s home worker from Stony Stratford is separate and unrelated.

In a related case from February 2015, another individual named David May, aged 66 and residing on King Street in Stony Stratford, was sentenced to 16 years in prison for the sexual abuse of underage girls. This individual was a former children’s home worker who had targeted two girls in his care over three decades ago. His arrest followed the Jimmy Saville scandal, which prompted renewed investigations into historical abuse cases.

At Chelmsford Crown Court, Recorder David Holborn sentenced May after he was convicted of three counts of rape and three counts of indecent assault, all committed between 1981 and 1984. The judge criticized May for playing favorites and exploiting the trust of the young victims, who were subjected to a harsh and often cruel environment at the home in Plaistow. May was accused of taking advantage of the home’s strict regime by presenting himself as a caring figure, while secretly engaging in abusive behaviors.

The court heard that May used his role in a photography group, which only the two victims participated in, to carry out most of the abuse. He reportedly used a secluded room in his house, with the windows blacked out, to commit these acts. The judge highlighted that May’s actions had robbed the victims of their innocence and caused them long-term psychological trauma. Throughout the trial, May sat in the dock, visibly shaking his head in denial, refusing to accept the gravity of his crimes.

May’s history of arrest dates back to 1985, but at that time, police took no action. It was only after the second victim came forward in 2012, in the wake of the Jimmy Saville revelations, that further investigations were launched. May denied the allegations, claiming he had no idea why the girls would make such accusations and insisting he had never abused them or taken them to his flat. Nonetheless, the prosecution maintained that the evidence proved his guilt, and the victims’ testimonies confirmed the pattern of abuse over several years, often occurring in multiple locations, including May’s own residence, and sometimes in the presence of each other.