JAMES RATCLIFFE OF EXNING SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES IN IPSWICH

In March 2010, James Ratcliffe, a man known for establishing a successful racehorse transport business in Newmarket, was sentenced to prison after being convicted of six indecency offences involving young girls. The proceedings took place at Ipswich Crown Court, where Ratcliffe, aged 68 and residing on Lacey’s Lane in Exning, appeared to face justice for his alleged crimes.

Ratcliffe had previously pleaded not guilty to ten charges of indecently assaulting a female. During his trial earlier that year, the court found him guilty of six offences while acquitting him of four. The allegations centered around incidents that reportedly occurred over a period of more than a decade, beginning when the victims were just entering their teenage years. The court heard disturbing details about Ratcliffe’s visits to a woman’s home in the Newmarket area, where he allegedly frequented two or three times a week for sexual encounters. During these visits, he is said to have indecently assaulted her two daughters.

The victims, now adults, provided emotional testimony during the trial. One of the girls, who cannot be named for legal reasons, described her experience: “At the time I didn’t think it was groping. It just seemed like cuddles but it got uncomfortable.” She explained that she and her sister were given sweets and money by Ratcliffe before going upstairs with their mother, which added a layer of manipulation to the abuse.

Throughout the trial, Ratcliffe denied any allegations of indecent touching or being alone with the girls. He admitted that he held a key to the house for six months but insisted that whenever he visited, another adult was always present. Ratcliffe also claimed that the accusations, which surfaced publicly in January of the previous year, were an attempt by the girls to retaliate against their mother through him.

Financially, Ratcliffe’s life had been severely impacted by the allegations. His business, which he had built up and hoped to sell for around £800,000, was forced into decline after the accusations became public. His financial troubles worsened when he had to hand over his business to new owners without compensation, along with the debts associated with his fleet of vehicles used for transporting racehorses across Britain. Prior to the charges, Ratcliffe was earning approximately £400 weekly as a consultant for the new owners, but his and his wife’s income had dwindled to living on state pensions in rented accommodation.

Legal proceedings also targeted Ratcliffe’s assets. Court papers served last weekend sought to recover approximately £1.6 million, representing the shortfall between the value of his former home at Manor Farm Stud and the loans he had taken out for business ventures. His health was also a concern, as he was still suffering from the effects of a fall from a horse in 2008.

Judge John Devaux, presiding over the case, sentenced Ratcliffe to three and a half years in prison. In his remarks, the judge acknowledged that while these offences might not be the most severe of their kind, the fact remained that two victims had endured abuse over a lengthy period. The judge emphasized the seriousness of each offence, stating that only an immediate custodial sentence was appropriate. Additionally, Ratcliffe was ordered to register as a sex offender indefinitely and was disqualified from working with children, reflecting the gravity of his crimes.