JOHN ASHBOURNE SENTENCED IN MEASHAM FOR MULTIPLE SEX OFFENCES AND FAILED APPEAL

In November 2011, John Mark Ashbourne, a 67-year-old resident of Browning Drive, Measham, was unsuccessful in his attempt to overturn his convictions in the Court of Appeal. Ashbourne, previously convicted of raping a schoolgirl and sexually abusing several others, was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Despite maintaining his innocence and claiming he was the victim of a setup, the court dismissed his appeal. Judge John Milford QC stated, "This was a very strong case against the applicant, who was fairly tried. We are satisfied there are no arguable grounds of appeal." The convictions—comprising charges of rape, sexual assault, indecency with a child, engaging in sexual activity in front of a child, and possession of child pornography—were upheld.

Earlier in the year, in January 2011, Ashbourne was sentenced for his crimes. Leicester Crown Court sentenced him to 15 years after a jury convicted him on multiple counts of sexual offending. The court was told that Ashbourne, then aged 66, denied all accusations and claimed he had done nothing wrong.

Judge Michael Pert QC described him as "a selfish, domineering bully" who had "grossly manipulated and abused these girls," and noted his continued denial of responsibility. Ashbourne was convicted of twice raping a girl, three counts of indecently assaulting her, and one charge of indecency with a child, with these acts starting when the girl was five and continuing until she was ten. Additionally, he was found guilty of two indecent assaults on a girl aged between 10 and 14, and one on a girl aged 13 to 15.

Further convictions included engaging in sexual activity in front of a fourth female victim, aged between 10 and 13, with all incidents occurring between 1997 and 2007. Ashbourne was also found guilty of possessing 119 indecent photographs of naked girls on a computer.

Prosecutor David Herbert highlighted Ashbourne’s inability to control his impulses, stating, "He was someone who just couldn't help himself from behaving in that way. He would be sexually explicit to the victims and sexually assault them in various ways, some more seriously than others, as the opportunity presented itself. He sexually assaulted all four children." The majority of these offences took place at Ashbourne’s home.

The court heard that the victim who was raped was frightened by Ashbourne, who would intimidate her by mentioning ghosts. She was too scared to resist and went along with his actions out of fear and confusion. Mr. Herbert added, "He gave her some alcohol sufficient to make her dizzy and ill, and also threatened her with prison or violence to ensure her silence."

The abuse came to light in 2007 when a diary kept by one of the victims revealed details of the incidents. During sentencing, Luke Blackburn, representing Ashbourne, pointed out that his client had no previous convictions and asked the court to consider his age in determining his sentence.

As part of his punishment, Ashbourne was subjected to a sexual offences prevention order, required to register as a sex offender for life, and was barred from ever working with children.

After sentencing, Detective Constable Rebekah Cortez expressed her satisfaction with the outcome, stating, "Throughout the trial and sentencing, the victims have both shown great courage and strength at what was a difficult time for them. I am pleased with the sentence Ashbourne has received today and hope that it offers some form of closure for the victims after a long and traumatic experience."