JUSTICE SERVED FOR JAMES BIRCH IN WIDNES AFTER YEARS OF ABUSE

In April 2008, justice was finally achieved for a victim of horrific abuse when James Birch-Greaves, aged 44 and residing on Cleveleys Avenue in Widnes, was sentenced to five years in prison at Chester Crown Court. Birch-Greaves was convicted of multiple counts of attempted rape and indecent assault against Nicola Sutcliffe, who was a child between 1979 and 1984. Nicola, now 34 and living in Upton, Widnes, expressed her relief and relief at the outcome, stating: "I am absolutely delighted. It was a bit emotional having to send Jimmy to prison after so long, but if he was given one year it would have been good enough for me. When I first made the statement there was no turning back, but the whole process has given me confidence and has even turned my life around. I know now that I had to do it. It has been dealt with now and my kids and myself can finally move on." The court heard that Birch-Greaves began abusing Nicola when he moved into her family home, at the age of 16, while Nicola was only six years old. Nicola explained, "He used to babysit for us when my parents went out," choosing to waive her right to anonymity. Additionally, Birch-Greaves was found guilty of assaulting Nicola’s friend during a sleepover when she was nine, although this friend cannot be named legally. As part of his sentence, Birch-Greaves was placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register indefinitely and disqualified from working with children. Detective Constable Jon Wilson, who led the investigation, praised Nicola’s bravery for coming forward: "Coming forward after all these years was a tremendously brave thing to do. The impact of the abuse on her was huge. It was always going to be difficult for her bringing either case to court due to the nature of the offences and time lapsed. Hopefully the courage shown by Nicola in this case will encourage other victims to make contact with police." Nicola, who is currently studying to become a social worker at Edge Hill University, now aims to support others who have experienced similar ordeals. She said, "I found it difficult to find information and advice about my problems, but I want people who have suffered abuse to know that they are not alone. It is important that everyone who has suffered at the hands of these sorts of people know they can talk to someone about it. If they want me to, I will stand by them at court and do all I can to help."