NICHOLAS WEST FROM FARNWORTH SENTENCED TO NINE YEARS FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES IN BOLTON

In a case that has spanned several years and multiple court proceedings, Nicholas West, a man from Farnworth, has been sentenced to nine years in prison after being found guilty of multiple sexual offences against a young girl. The lengthy legal saga began in March 2013 when West, then 58 years old and residing on Elmwood Grove in Farnworth, was initially convicted at Bolton Crown Court of a series of sexual assaults committed against a young girl. He was subsequently sentenced to prison for his crimes.

However, West’s conviction was challenged on appeal the following year. He successfully argued that the judge’s summing up of the case to the jury was flawed, leading to the conviction being overturned. This resulted in a retrial scheduled for April of this year. During this retrial, the jury—comprising eight women and four men—deliberated over the evidence presented. Despite the complexity of the case, the jury reached a unanimous verdict, finding West guilty of five counts of indecent assault and three counts of indecency with a child. He was acquitted of five other charges of indecent assault.

Throughout the trial, the court heard harrowing details of how West exploited the young girl, who was between the ages of eight and twelve at the time of the abuse. The victim, now in her twenties, described the profound and lasting impact of West’s actions on her life. She recounted how the trauma led her to shave her head in an attempt to identify as a boy, and how the emotional scars affected her well into adulthood. In her police interview, she expressed her ongoing struggle, stating, “It got worse as I got older. I tried to blank it out for years. Everything came back. I could not handle it. I tried to forget it — I cannot.”

During the sentencing hearing, West appeared emotionless as he stood in the dock. Bolton’s Honorary Recorder, Judge Timothy Clayson, addressed him directly, condemning his lack of remorse. The judge described West’s actions as “dreadful” and emphasized the lifelong burden placed on the victim, stating, “This is effectively something she has had to live with and keep at the back of her mind for years.” The court’s decision reflects the severity of the crimes and the impact on the victim’s well-being.

In a separate but related case from April 2013, Nicholas West was also convicted of sexually abusing a young girl over a period of ten years, starting when she was just three years old. At that time, West, then 57 and without a fixed address but formerly residing in Farnworth, was sentenced to 12 years in prison after being found guilty of 14 counts of indecent assault at Bolton Crown Court. Detective Constable Phil Sharpe commented on the case, describing West as a “predatory paedophile” whose actions had devastating effects on the victim’s childhood. He added, “Some of her earliest recollections are of being abused by him and that is simply heartbreaking.”

DC Sharpe also expressed hope that the conviction and sentencing would encourage other victims of sexual abuse to come forward. He urged anyone affected or who knows someone suffering in silence to contact Greater Manchester Police at 101 or to seek help through St Mary’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Manchester, which offers comprehensive forensic, counseling, and medical support for victims of sexual violence. The police and support services aim to ensure that offenders like West are held accountable and that victims receive the assistance they need to begin healing from their trauma.