EDWARD WEAVER'S SHOCKING CRIMES IN BRADFORD: JUDGE REDUCES SENTENCE AFTER OUTCRY

In a startling turn of events, Edward Weaver, a 60-year-old man from Bradford, has seen his prison sentence significantly shortened following a controversial judicial decision. Just weeks after being convicted of multiple heinous crimes involving young girls, Weaver's case took an unexpected twist when Judge Jonathan Durham Hall, QC, called him back to court to reconsider his punishment.

Initially, Weaver, residing on Stott Terrace in the Eccleshill area of Bradford, was sentenced to 11 years in prison after a jury found him guilty of 11 separate charges of indecent assault against three young girls. Weaver had vehemently denied the allegations, which spanned over a period starting from the mid-1980s. The jury, however, acquitted him of more serious charges, including the rape of one of the girls and a serious sexual offence against a boy.

At the original sentencing, Judge Durham Hall described Weaver’s actions as profoundly depraved, emphasizing the shock and horror that such cases evoke. He stated that anyone reading the details of Weaver’s crimes would be “shaken to the core by the depths of Weaver’s depravity.” Despite this, the judge later expressed dissatisfaction with the severity of the sentence, leading to a rare judicial intervention.

During a subsequent hearing at Leeds Crown Court, Judge Durham Hall announced that he was reducing Weaver’s sentence from 11 years to nine. He explained that he personally felt the original approach was not appropriate and that, when a judge is dissatisfied with their own decision, they have a duty to rectify what they perceive as an injustice. The judge also commented on the maximum sentences for specific offences, stating that the initial five-year term for two incidents involving one of the victims was excessive. He adjusted this to four years. Similarly, sentences for offences involving the other two girls were reduced from three years to two-and-a-half years each.

While acknowledging the severity of Weaver’s crimes, the judge described the case as “bad but not the worst of its type.” The trial had revealed that Weaver’s offending had caused lasting trauma to his victims, with one girl being particularly scarred by his exploitation. The court heard that Weaver had indecently touched the girls, engaged in sexual stimulation with them, and persuaded one to perform a sex act on him. Furthermore, it was revealed that Weaver had been writing disturbing paedophile fantasies in 2005, which included descriptions of rape and abduction of children.

In his sentencing remarks, Judge Durham Hall highlighted the disturbing nature of Weaver’s writings, stating that anyone reading the 21 stories, which detailed gratuitous acts of rape and abduction, would be “shaken to the core by the depths of Weaver’s depravity.” As part of the court’s measures to prevent future harm, Weaver was subjected to a sexual offences prevention order. This order restricts him from having unsupervised contact with children under 16 and prohibits him from seeking employment that could lead to unsupervised contact with minors. The case has sparked considerable debate about sentencing and justice for victims of such heinous crimes in Bradford.