Preacher's sentence cut in child abuse case

PREACHER'S SENTENCE CUT IN CHILD ABUSE CASE

A pre-faced preacher named Francis Fletcher, aged 66 from Twist Lane, Leigh, was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison at Bolton Crown Court last September.

He pleaded guilty at the last minute to six counts of indecent assault involving two girls, both under 10 years old, during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Despite his guilty plea, Fletcher later claimed he did not commit the offences in a pre-sentence report.

The sentencing judge noted Fletcher's lack of remorse and his denial of guilt.

The case was later reviewed by Mr Justice David Clarke at London's Criminal Appeal Court, which concluded that his original sentence was too lengthy and reduced it to two-and-a-half years, taking into account similar cases.

Fletcher's lawyers argued that although his guilty plea was late, it spared the victims from giving evidence, citing the 'limited' nature of the indecency.

The judge observed that Fletcher pleaded guilty to six specific offences and noted that the court couldn't determine if the girls would accept this plea.

It was also stated that Fletcher's plea was possibly influenced by a desire to accept the minimum acceptable by the Crown, and if he had admitted to a more regular course of conduct, he would have faced a longer sentence.