NICHOLAS WILKINSON PLEADS GUILTY TO SEXUAL ASSAULT IN PWLLHELI AND LYMM
| Red Rose Database
Pwllheli Rapist
In a case that has spanned decades, Nicholas Wilkinson, a resident of Pwllheli, was finally brought to justice for a disturbing sexual assault that occurred in 1999. The incident took place in a park located in Lymm, where Wilkinson, then 17 years old, committed a heinous act against a 14-year-old girl while other boys slept nearby in a tent.
According to court proceedings, Wilkinson and the young victim had consumed alcohol together before he took her back to the tent he was residing in at the time. The court heard that the girl awoke to a shocking and distressing scene: Wilkinson was performing oral sex on her. This assault left a lasting impact on her, and Wilkinson’s subsequent actions appeared aimed at preventing her from reporting the crime.
Prosecutor Mark Connor detailed the aftermath of the assault, revealing that in the months following the incident, the girl was profoundly affected. She was described as crying frequently in her bedroom, withdrawing from social activities, and experiencing a significant change from her previous personality. Her mental health deteriorated to the point where she contemplated self-harm, leading to her hospitalization after a suicide attempt.
Despite her trauma, the victim managed to find some semblance of normalcy, securing a job she loved and building a life as a caring mother and partner. However, the resurfacing of memories and trauma caused her life to unravel once again. She reported ongoing sleep disturbances, nightmares, flashbacks, and a loss of appetite, illustrating the deep psychological scars left by Wilkinson’s assault.
Her father, overwhelmed by helplessness, took it upon himself to search for Wilkinson on multiple occasions, feeling trapped and unable to protect his daughter. During the court proceedings, Wilkinson claimed to be 'very experienced' sexually at the time and stated that he remembered nothing of the incident. However, the court was informed that the victim was a virgin at the time of the assault.
Wilkinson’s defense attorney, Michael Davies, argued that Wilkinson was acquitted of rape not because the court disbelieved the victim but because he held a reasonable belief in consent at the time. He acknowledged the seriousness of the impact on the victim but emphasized Wilkinson’s age, suggesting that he should be treated as a naive 17-year-old rather than a mature offender.
It was also revealed that Wilkinson had a history of previous convictions, including a particularly brutal attack on a puppy in 2007 on Winwick Road. Despite this, he had no prior record of sexual offenses, although he was found guilty of indecent assault in this case.
Judge Duncan Bould sentenced Wilkinson to two years in prison, with the possibility of early release after serving half of his sentence. The judge acknowledged the profound and ongoing trauma experienced by the victim, stating, “From the next day, the victim was reporting trauma which manifested itself in extreme ways, trauma which has not yet left her. The events have changed her life.” The judge also refuted Wilkinson’s claim of ignorance, stating, “You went on to claim you didn’t even know her. That was not true.”
The victim expressed her motivation for coming forward, stating that she hoped her courage would inspire other victims of sexual offenses to seek justice. She urged others to come forward, emphasizing that it is safe to do so and expressing hope that society can put an end to such crimes. Her words were clear: “He deserves to go away for a long time, he’s vile and cruel.”
According to court proceedings, Wilkinson and the young victim had consumed alcohol together before he took her back to the tent he was residing in at the time. The court heard that the girl awoke to a shocking and distressing scene: Wilkinson was performing oral sex on her. This assault left a lasting impact on her, and Wilkinson’s subsequent actions appeared aimed at preventing her from reporting the crime.
Prosecutor Mark Connor detailed the aftermath of the assault, revealing that in the months following the incident, the girl was profoundly affected. She was described as crying frequently in her bedroom, withdrawing from social activities, and experiencing a significant change from her previous personality. Her mental health deteriorated to the point where she contemplated self-harm, leading to her hospitalization after a suicide attempt.
Despite her trauma, the victim managed to find some semblance of normalcy, securing a job she loved and building a life as a caring mother and partner. However, the resurfacing of memories and trauma caused her life to unravel once again. She reported ongoing sleep disturbances, nightmares, flashbacks, and a loss of appetite, illustrating the deep psychological scars left by Wilkinson’s assault.
Her father, overwhelmed by helplessness, took it upon himself to search for Wilkinson on multiple occasions, feeling trapped and unable to protect his daughter. During the court proceedings, Wilkinson claimed to be 'very experienced' sexually at the time and stated that he remembered nothing of the incident. However, the court was informed that the victim was a virgin at the time of the assault.
Wilkinson’s defense attorney, Michael Davies, argued that Wilkinson was acquitted of rape not because the court disbelieved the victim but because he held a reasonable belief in consent at the time. He acknowledged the seriousness of the impact on the victim but emphasized Wilkinson’s age, suggesting that he should be treated as a naive 17-year-old rather than a mature offender.
It was also revealed that Wilkinson had a history of previous convictions, including a particularly brutal attack on a puppy in 2007 on Winwick Road. Despite this, he had no prior record of sexual offenses, although he was found guilty of indecent assault in this case.
Judge Duncan Bould sentenced Wilkinson to two years in prison, with the possibility of early release after serving half of his sentence. The judge acknowledged the profound and ongoing trauma experienced by the victim, stating, “From the next day, the victim was reporting trauma which manifested itself in extreme ways, trauma which has not yet left her. The events have changed her life.” The judge also refuted Wilkinson’s claim of ignorance, stating, “You went on to claim you didn’t even know her. That was not true.”
The victim expressed her motivation for coming forward, stating that she hoped her courage would inspire other victims of sexual offenses to seek justice. She urged others to come forward, emphasizing that it is safe to do so and expressing hope that society can put an end to such crimes. Her words were clear: “He deserves to go away for a long time, he’s vile and cruel.”