MICHAEL AND SHARON ETOCK FROM BUTTERWICK AND COALVILLE SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL ABUSE AND OBSTRUCTION

In a case that has shocked the local communities of Butterwick and Coalville, a husband and wife have been sentenced to prison for their involvement in attempting to silence a young girl who had reported being sexually abused. The incident dates back to February 2019, when the victim, whose identity remains protected for legal reasons, disclosed that she had been subjected to inappropriate conduct by Michael Etock, a man residing in Tyler Crescent, Butterwick, near Boston at the time.

According to court proceedings at Lincoln Crown Court, Michael Etock, aged 62 and a former member of the armed forces, had engaged in inappropriate physical contact with the girl, including groping and kissing. Following this, he advised her not to speak about what had happened, attempting to suppress her account of the abuse.

After the girl reported the abuse to the police, Etock, who had since taken up employment as a railway signalman, took further steps to discourage her from pursuing the case. It was revealed that he sent text messages urging her to withdraw her complaint. These messages were sent from the mobile phone of his wife, Sharon Etock, who had permitted him to use her device for this purpose. Prosecutor Jonathan Dunn highlighted that one such message read, “You’re gonna have to tell them it’s all lies on your part.”

During police interviews, Michael Etock admitted to the sexual abuse, describing it as a single incident that lasted only a brief period. He pleaded guilty to a charge of sexual activity with a child. However, he denied six additional charges related to similar offenses, and a jury acquitted him of those allegations after a trial.

At the time of the offenses, the couple was living in Tyler Crescent, Butterwick, but they have since relocated to Coalville, Leicestershire. The court’s sentencing judge, Judge John Pini QC, emphasized the severity of the crimes. He stated that the offences were too grave to warrant anything less than immediate imprisonment. Addressing Michael Etock directly, the judge said, “I accept that what you did has had significant consequences for you. You have lost your good name and resigned your job. I’m afraid there has to be an immediate custodial sentence. The case is too serious to impose anything else.”

As a result, Michael Etock was sentenced to two years in prison for his actions. The judge also condemned Sharon Etock, 59, for her role in obstructing justice. She was found to have aided her husband by encouraging contact with the victim, knowing full well that her actions aimed to influence her to drop the complaint. The court heard that between April 1 and April 4, 2018, she perverted the course of justice. For her involvement, she received an eight-month jail term.

Judge Pini concluded by highlighting the importance of justice in cases involving vulnerable victims and emphasized that the actions of both individuals had caused significant harm, warranting their respective sentences.