HARLEY LISHMAN

A CONTROLLING RAPIST WHO ATTACKED TWO VULNERABLE PRESTON SCHOOLGIRLS HAS BEEN DETAINED FOR 12 YEARS IN A YOUNG OFFENDER'S INSTITUTION, WITH AN EXTENDED LICENCE OF TWO YEARS

In July 2021, Harley Lishman, a 20-year-old man with no fixed address from Preston, was sentenced to a lengthy prison term after being convicted of heinous crimes involving two vulnerable young girls from the same city.

The court heard how Lishman, a controlling and manipulative individual, targeted these minors through social media platforms, gradually gaining their trust before committing acts of sexual assault.

Judge Philip Parry, presiding over Preston’s Sessions House Court, described Lishman as a dangerous offender, emphasizing the significant risk he posed to other girls in the community.

The sentence handed down was for 12 years in a young offender’s institution, with an additional two-year extended license period.

This means that Lishman could potentially apply for parole after serving two-thirds of his sentence, but his release would depend on the Parole Board’s assessment of whether he still posed a threat.

Furthermore, he will be registered on the Sex Offenders Register for life, ensuring ongoing monitoring of his activities.

The court was informed that Lishman befriended both victims via social media, initially appearing friendly but soon revealing a manipulative nature.

His first victim, a girl still in high school, was groomed by Lishman, who made inappropriate comments about her appearance, telling her, “Oh it’s a bit young, but I can do it because you’re quite pretty.” He eventually lured her to a Starbucks store in Preston, where he attempted to pressure her into having sex.

During their interactions, Lishman referred to her as his “little girl,” urged her to “stop being a wimp,” and demanded explicit photographs of her in her school uniform.

His behaviour escalated to threats, including a disturbing statement that he would “kill her and rape her dead body.” After the victim reported the assault, Lishman contacted her in a threatening manner, attempting to manipulate her into silence by threatening self-harm and begging her not to press charges.

The victim later provided a statement describing the profound trauma she experienced, which led her to seek therapy.

She expressed ongoing struggles with her self-esteem and a persistent fear of trusting new people, worried they might also harm her.

The case took a further disturbing turn when Lishman targeted an even younger girl.

Her mother discovered messages from him on her phone, revealing that he had contacted her via Snapchat.

The messages included exchanged photographs, and the app’s location-sharing feature was used to track the girl’s whereabouts.

Lishman sent her a message claiming he was “near her” and expressed a desire to meet.

He also provided her with a coat to “cover up” her school uniform, indicating an attempt to conceal her identity.

During their communication, he made disturbing remarks, including, “You’ve gone off with a 19-year-old you know, and that’s like a privilege,” and claimed ownership over her, stating he was her “daddy” and threatening to “dominate her” and “punish her” if she disobeyed.

The young girl was later assaulted in Lishman’s car.

In her victim statement, she described her ongoing distress, saying she finds it difficult to sleep and is plagued by troubling thoughts.

She expressed fears about whether justice would be served, whether the abuse might happen again, and whether other girls might have been victimized.

She also questioned whether the rape was her fault, highlighting the deep psychological scars left by the ordeal.

Harley Lishman admitted to the charges of raping a child under 13 and engaging in sexual activity with a minor.

Judge Parry condemned his actions, noting that Lishman displayed what can only be described as sexual aggression and derived sexual pleasure from exploiting vulnerable girls.

The judge emphasized the devastating impact of his crimes on the victims’ lives, describing their interactions as manipulative, frightening, and increasingly aggressive.

Addressing the youngest victim directly, Judge Parry made it clear that she did nothing wrong, stating, “You did everything wrong,” and underscoring the severity of Lishman’s misconduct.