EDWIN COTTINGHAM JAILED FOR SEXUAL ABUSE IN GODSTONE AND CORNWALL

In January 2009, Edwin Cottingham, a 67-year-old former landscape gardener residing on Ivy Mill Lane in Godstone, was sentenced to six and a half years in prison after being convicted of multiple serious sexual offenses. The charges included the sexual abuse of two young girls and an unrelated married woman, with Cottingham denying six allegations of unlawful sexual touching of the children and one count of indecent assault against the woman in her 30s.

His trial at Truro Crown Court in November revealed a disturbing pattern of predatory behavior. During the sentencing hearing, Judge Philip Wassall highlighted the aggravating circumstances of Cottingham’s actions, notably his deliberate attempts to undermine the credibility of the girls’ families. The judge pointed out that Cottingham had called the mother of the girls back twice to question her, seemingly to cast doubt on her character, which he viewed as a betrayal of the trust placed in him by the family.

Throughout the proceedings, Cottingham displayed little emotional reaction to the verdict, aside from raising a hand towards his wife before being taken down to the cells. His defense attorney, Timothy Hills, emphasized Cottingham’s previously good character, noting his past work in prison administration in both high-security and standard facilities in New Zealand. Hills described Cottingham as having become a trusted figure among inmates during his two months in Exeter jail awaiting sentencing, where he was regarded as an 'agony uncle' and was allowed to have an open cell door for others to seek his advice.

Hills presented character references and called witnesses to support his claim of Cottingham’s good standing. Lionel Clargo, a minister of religion from Caterham who had attended every day of the trial, testified that he had never heard anything to alter his opinion of Cottingham. Despite not sharing the same church, Clargo had worked with Cottingham on community youth initiatives and had no concerns about his behavior. Similarly, Glenton Brown, a Cornwall county councillor and father of two girls, attested to knowing Cottingham for over 40 years and having no reservations about him, citing positive experiences during family holidays together.

However, the court was presented with evidence of Cottingham’s long history of abuse. Judge Wassall recounted that the girls’ family would have shared the same positive view of Cottingham until they witnessed him assaulting the girls during a walk on the North Cornwall coast on Good Friday. Over several years, Cottingham had repeatedly assaulted the girls by touching them inappropriately. Additionally, in 1998, he had taken a woman home and, during a farewell gesture, had assaulted her as well. She only disclosed the incident years later after hearing about other allegations, which caused her to break down emotionally.

Judge Wassall condemned Cottingham’s actions, stating, “You appear to have little thought for the consequences of your behaviour for the girls. You groomed them and their family over a long period, abusing them repeatedly.”

As part of his sentence, Cottingham was ordered to be indefinitely barred from having unsupervised contact with anyone under 16, participating in voluntary activities involving children, or working with minors. Furthermore, he was mandated to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for the remainder of his life, ensuring ongoing monitoring of his conduct and restrictions on his interactions with minors.