LAWRENCE EYLES FROM SKIPTON SENTENCED FOR DECADES-OLD SEXUAL ABUSE CASES

In a case that spanned over five decades, Lawrence Eyles, a 77-year-old resident of The Green, Overdale Park, Skipton, was sentenced to prison for the sexual abuse of two boys during the 1960s. The proceedings took place at Bradford Crown Court, where the court heard that Eyles would spend his remaining days in solitude, reflecting on the actions committed so long ago.

Judge Jonathan Rose delivered a stern message to Eyles, emphasizing the enduring nature of the law’s memory. He stated, “The law has a long memory and a long reach,” underscoring that justice can be delayed but not denied, regardless of the passage of time. Eyles was sentenced to 12 months in prison for his crimes, which only came to light recently after the principal victim, a man who has been married for over forty years, found the courage to report the abuse to authorities.

The court was presented with a poignant letter read aloud by Judge Rose, in which the victim described feeling as though he had served a “45-year prison sentence” due to Eyles’ actions. The victim’s words reflected the long-lasting trauma inflicted by the abuse, and the judge acknowledged this, telling Eyles, “Decades later, he found the strength to confront you – his demon.”

According to the evidence, Eyles pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting one boy for approximately two years during the early 1960s. Additionally, he admitted to abusing a second boy on a single occasion later in that decade. Prosecutor Jayne Beckett detailed that the first victim, who was between 13 and 15 years old at the time, was terrified by the repeated abuse. Mrs. Beckett recounted that Eyles told the crying boy, “That is what grown-ups do,” a statement that highlighted the disturbing nature of the offenses.

Furthermore, Eyles was found to have indecently assaulted a second boy when he was around 12 years old in 1967, on a single occasion. His barrister, Richard Wright, argued that Eyles was in poor health but otherwise of good character. He emphasized that the crimes dated back nearly fifty years and pointed out that Eyles’s guilty plea served as a public acknowledgment that his victims’ accounts were truthful. Wright added, “He is being exposed for what he is, and was, and will spend his final days alone in a caravan.”

Judge Rose concluded the hearing by reminding Eyles of the enduring nature of the law’s reach, stating, “You and others like you must understand the law’s memory never fades.” As part of his sentence, Eyles was ordered to register as a sex offender for ten years and was subjected to an indefinite Sexual Offences Prevention Order, ensuring ongoing monitoring and restrictions related to his conduct.