GORDON CORBETT OAKINGTON SEX OFFENSES SHOCK CAMBRIDGE COURT

In September 2003, a man named Gordon Corbett, aged 65 and residing on Cambridge Road in Oakington, was sentenced to prison following his admission to committing serious sexual assaults against a teenage girl. The court proceedings revealed that these disturbing incidents occurred nearly two decades earlier, leaving a lasting impact on the victim's life.

According to the evidence presented at Cambridge Crown Court, Corbett assaulted the girl on two separate occasions when she was just 15 and 16 years old. The first assault took place on Christmas Eve in 1983. During this incident, Corbett, who was intoxicated at the time, groped the girl’s left breast and persistently pressured her to engage in sexual activity, even offering her money if she agreed. The girl, however, firmly refused his advances.

The second incident occurred during Easter in 1984. Again under the influence of alcohol, Corbett attempted to pin the girl down and tried to kiss her. She once more refused his advances, resisting his attempts to violate her boundaries. These events, which took place over a period of months, were characterized by the court as isolated episodes rather than part of a sustained campaign of abuse.

Corbett was arrested in January of the current year. Initially, he denied the charges, but by the time of his trial in August, he had changed his plea to admit guilt. His solicitor, James Wilson, argued in mitigation that Corbett’s guilty plea should be taken into account, emphasizing that the incidents were brief, alcohol-fueled, and not as severe as other cases of a similar nature.

However, Judge Jonathan Haworth delivered a stern judgment. He acknowledged that while the incidents might not be among the worst of their kind, the emotional and psychological impact on the victim was significant. The judge highlighted that the girl had experienced ongoing difficulties in forming relationships and had been haunted by the memories of what happened.

As a result, Corbett was sentenced to one year in prison. Additionally, he was placed on the sex offenders’ register for ten years and was disqualified from any employment involving children. The court’s decision underscores the serious consequences of such offenses, regardless of their isolated nature, and aims to protect vulnerable individuals from potential harm in the future.