GARY JENNINGS

GARY JENNINGS SENTENCED FOR ABUSE IN ST ALBANS AND HEMEL HEMPSTEAD

In a case that has spanned over a decade before reaching justice, Gary Jennings, a 51-year-old man from St Albans, was sentenced to a total of 11 years in prison for heinous crimes committed against two young girls.

The offenses, which involved sexual abuse and physical violence, took place in Hemel Hempstead between the years 2000 and 2003, when the victims were just children aged between four and ten.

Jennings, who is also known by the alias Christian De Vriess, was convicted at St Albans Crown Court on multiple charges, including 14 counts of indecent assault and indecency with a child.

The court also found him guilty of causing actual bodily harm to one of the girls, after he struck her with a belt during the assault.

The lengthy delay in his sentencing was due to the time elapsed since the crimes occurred, with the abuse having taken place over a period of three years in the early 2000s.

During the trial, Patricia May, representing Jennings, argued that her client continued to deny any involvement in the abuse and emphasized that he had no prior sexual convictions.

Despite this, the judge, Andrew Bright QC, made it clear that Jennings posed a significant risk to children and ordered an extended sentence to ensure public safety.

Judge Bright stated, “You pose a high risk of serious harm to children.

I am passing an extended sentence to protect the public and in particular young girls.

The psychological damage you caused has been detailed in the victim personal statement of one of the victims.” Under the terms of his sentence, Jennings will serve two-thirds of the nine-year term before being eligible for parole consideration.

His release will depend on the parole board’s assessment of whether it is safe to do so.

Additionally, Jennings will remain on license until the completion of his 11-year sentence, and he is required to register as a sex offender and comply with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order indefinitely to prevent any further risk to the community.