FRANCIS MACLEAN SENTENCED TO SEVEN YEARS IN OTTERY ST MARY FOR CHILD SEX ABUSE

In a case that has shocked the community of Ottery St Mary, a man named Francis Maclean has been sentenced to a seven-year prison term after being found guilty of multiple charges related to the sexual abuse of a young girl. The incident, which took place in East Devon, has brought to light the disturbing actions of Maclean, who was convicted at Exeter Crown Court of all seven charges brought against him.

Maclean, aged 47 and residing at Church View in Ottery St Mary, faced a total of twelve charges initially. However, during the trial, the number of charges was reduced to seven, with some counts being specimen charges, indicating that the abuse occurred on more than one occasion. The allegations involved the sexual exploitation of a girl under the age of 13, who was living in the East Devon area at the time of the offenses.

The court proceedings revealed that Maclean had a lengthy criminal record, which included offenses related to dishonesty and violence. Despite this, he had no prior convictions specifically related to sexual offenses. The jury, after a swift deliberation, unanimously found Maclean guilty of all charges within hours of retiring to consider their verdict. Maclean had pleaded not guilty to three counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, as well as four counts of sexually assaulting the same young girl.

During the sentencing, Judge Graham Cottle addressed Maclean directly, stating, “It is said by your learned counsel that this seems to have been buried by you. I doubt the memories for the victim have been buried. She is trying to move on with her life, but it is often only many years later that the consequences of abuse of children come to the surface and the impact is often very severe.”

Throughout the proceedings, Maclean remained composed, standing with his hands behind his back as he was sentenced. As he was led away, he leaned against the glass of the custody box and shouted to a woman in the public gallery, “Stay strong, I’ll call you, yeah?” To which she responded, “Cheers, babe.”

Prosecutor David Evans outlined how Maclean had known the girl and had gained her trust before abusing her on several occasions when he saw her. The court heard that Maclean’s actions were deliberate and manipulative, exploiting the trust placed in him by the young girl.

Following the verdict, defense counsel Rupert Taylor commented on Maclean’s health and personal circumstances, mentioning that he was in poor health and had a supportive girlfriend who had “saved his life” from alcoholism. Taylor also noted that Maclean had a history of petty crimes, which did not involve sexual misconduct, and described him as a hard-working man.

Judge Cottle, however, made it clear that he was not going to adjourn the case for further reports, expressing skepticism about any claims Maclean might make in his defense. “This man’s reaction, I know, is going to be, ‘it’s all lies, it’s complete rubbish,’ so the report that emerges like that is not going to be helpful,” the judge stated.

After the sentencing, Detective Constable Matt Bourne from the Child Abuse Investigation Unit in Exeter spoke to the Echo, praising the bravery of the young victim. Det Con Bourne emphasized her courage, noting that she had been video-interviewed by police and provided live evidence to the court via video link, highlighting the strength of the girl in the face of such traumatic events.