MARTIN LAWRENCE OF WEYMOUTH SENTENCED TO 13 YEARS IN PRISON FOR MULTIPLE SEXUAL OFFENCES

In October 2014, Martin Lawrence, 65, formerly of West Way in Weymouth, was sentenced to 13 years in prison after being found guilty at Bournemouth Crown Court of multiple sexual offences, including one count of attempted rape and three counts of sexually assaulting a girl under 13. The court also ordered Lawrence, a former resident of Gillingham and prior school worker, to undergo specialized sex offender treatment classes, pay a £120 victim surcharge, and remain on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.

Lawrence’s criminal history includes a prior conviction in April 2012 at Dorchester Crown Court, where he received a three-year sentence for four counts of sexual assault against a child under 13 committed between September 2005 and July 2010. He was additionally convicted of four charges related to causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, contrary to section eight of the 2003 Sexual Offences Act.

Roger Venton, senior crown prosecutor for the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Unit of the Crown Prosecution Service in Wessex, commented: “The sentence in this case reflects the seriousness of the evidence that we presented to the court, which led the jury to convict Martin Lawrence on all charges. Cases involving a significant time lapse between incidents and reporting are often complex. For victims and witnesses, giving evidence can be daunting, especially in sexual offence cases. We successfully applied for a video link from Spain so that the victim and another witness could give evidence from the comfort of their home. The Crown Prosecution Service is committed to dealing with these cases seriously and encourages victims to contact the police.”

Lawrence resigned as a cleaner at Gillingham Primary School in 2010, having already been suspended and barred from employment there. His earlier employment included working as a caretaker at King Alfred’s Middle School in Shaftesbury during the 1980s and 1990s prior to moving abroad to Spain.

In April 2012, Lawrence’s family publicly urged victims of sexual assault to come forward, stating: “Whatever sentence he got was not going to be long enough, for the pain, hurt, and psychological trauma he has inflicted on our family. The victims of paedophiles and their families are given a life sentence.” They described the trial process as stressful and noted that Lawrence showed no remorse during the proceedings: “Throughout the trial, Mr. Lawrence showed no sign of emotion or remorse for what he has done, and in return, we hope he gets no empathy or sympathy while he is in prison.”

On that occasion, Lawrence, then 63, of Broad Acres, Gillingham, was convicted of four counts of sexual assault against a girl under 13 between September 2005 and November 2009, as well as four counts of inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, in violation of the 2003 Sexual Offences Act. Judge Roger Jarvis acknowledged the impact on the victim’s education and family, emphasizing that the girl felt guilty after revealing what happened.

Lawrence previously denied 11 charges when he appeared before magistrates in the previous year. His defense lawyer, Robert Grey, emphasized Lawrence’s personal losses, including the dissolution of his marriage and imminent loss of freedom, noting that his wife had left him after his arrest and that divorce proceedings were underway.

At sentencing, Judge Jarvis condemned Lawrence’s actions as a severe breach of trust, stating: “Huge damage has been caused to the family and what you did was, as anyone would recognize, a gross abuse of trust.” Lawrence, who had no prior convictions, will also be disqualified from working with children and will remain on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

The victim’s family expressed ongoing concern about Lawrence’s employment history around children and urged any other victims to come forward and contact Dorset Police. They added: “We are a close family and pull together in times of need, and believe that what goes around comes around.”