LONG EATON PAEDOPHILE LEE LANZA CAUGHT AFTER DAILY PUB VISITS

In October 2006, the community of Long Eaton was shaken by the revelation of the criminal activities of Lee Lanza, a man with a long and disturbing history of offending against children. Despite his notoriety, Lanza was a familiar face in the local pub scene, often seen drinking daily at the Victoria Inn in Long Eaton, where regular patrons were unaware of his criminal background.

Customers at the Victoria Inn expressed their shock upon learning of Lanza’s conviction and subsequent arrest. Many admitted they would have reported him had they known police were actively seeking him. However, due to restrictions imposed by Nottinghamshire Police, the public was not informed with a photograph or detailed description, leaving the community unaware of the danger he posed.

It was only after the police released an image of Lanza on the Monday following his arrest that the community recognized him. The 70-year-old man had been frequenting the pub up to three times daily over the past two weeks, often just for a half of Carling beer. Landlord Glen Mason recounted the moment he saw the police image and realized that the man who had been drinking in his establishment was the same individual wanted for serious crimes.

Glen Mason expressed his frustration, saying, “I can’t understand why the police wouldn’t issue the photo. We get the first edition of the Evening Post every day and read Friday’s paper when we learned about Lanza being on the run. When we saw Tuesday’s paper, everyone immediately recognized him. He was in every day, including Sunday. My customers are livid.”

While the pub generally discourages children from visiting, families had been seen outside drinking during the recent good weather, unaware of Lanza’s presence and criminal history. Mason added that Lanza kept to himself, coming in multiple times a day for brief visits.

Police operations between Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire forces led to Lanza’s arrest on Sunday after a police officer recognized him. The arrest was confirmed when a name check with police control revealed an outstanding warrant for his arrest. A probation officer handed a copy of the Monday’s newspaper article to the prosecution, which detailed Lanza’s criminal status.

During the court proceedings, Lanza’s defense highlighted that he had been recognized by a police officer, and a warrant was confirmed. An application had been made to postpone his trial due to a reported back problem, but the judge dismissed this as insufficient grounds for absence. The trial proceeded in his absence on September 20, with Lanza failing to appear.

Judge Simon Hammond formally sentenced Lanza to ten years in prison for his convictions, which included eight counts of child sex abuse. Additionally, he was sentenced to an extra six months for failing to attend his trial, with the sentences to run consecutively. The judge described Lanza as a “serial and dangerous paedophile,” emphasizing the severity of his crimes and his long history of offending, which spanned over 45 years. The court’s decision underscored the community’s concern and the importance of holding such individuals accountable for their actions.