PATRICK O’DONNELL FROM WESTOW JAILED FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT AND CHILD PORNOGRAPHY IN MALTON

In June 2017, a 73-year-old man from Ryedale, identified as Patrick O’Donnell, was sentenced to over three years in prison following his conviction for a serious sexual assault on a young girl. The incident took place in Westow, near Malton, where O’Donnell resides on Main Street. The court proceedings revealed that O’Donnell had pleaded guilty to the assault, which involved grooming the young victim and then sexually abusing her. Additionally, he admitted to possessing a significant number of indecent images of children and extreme pornography, further compounding his criminal record.

During the sentencing hearing, the prosecution, led by Jo Kidd, detailed how O’Donnell had systematically groomed the girl prior to the assault, encouraging her to keep the incident a secret. The court was informed that O’Donnell’s actions were premeditated, and he exploited the trust of the young victim for his own gratification. The court also learned that O’Donnell’s health was in poor condition, a consequence of an industrial accident he suffered in the 1990s, which has left him unable to work for many years.

The police investigation uncovered that O’Donnell had stored more than 100 indecent images of children on his computer’s hard drive. Among these images, 11 were classified as Category A, indicating the most severe level of indecency. In addition, authorities found 133 extreme pornographic images, which further demonstrated the extent of his illegal material collection. Search terms recovered from his device suggested that O’Donnell had actively searched for indecent images involving young girls, indicating a disturbing pattern of behavior.

O’Donnell’s defense lawyer, Patrick Palmer, stated that his client had been as open and honest as possible with the probation service, providing information about the indecent assault that was previously unknown to police. Palmer emphasized that O’Donnell had found it very difficult to admit his crimes to his family and that his guilty plea was a significant mitigating factor in his sentencing. The lawyer also contested claims that O’Donnell had taken photographs during the assault, although the court acknowledged that he had taken photographs of the child at some point, but could not confirm whether this occurred during the specific incident.

Judge Andrew Stubbs sentenced O’Donnell to three years in prison for the sexual assault, with an additional four months for possessing indecent images of children. These sentences are to run concurrently with three months for the possession of extreme pornography, resulting in a total prison term of 40 months. The judge also imposed a sexual harm prevention order, which prohibits O’Donnell from having any contact with girls under the age of 16. Furthermore, he is required to provide police with his internet browsing records to monitor any further illegal activity.

It is noteworthy that a second charge of sexual assault, which O’Donnell denied, was dropped by the prosecution during the proceedings. The case highlights the serious nature of his offenses and the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to address crimes involving child exploitation and abuse in the Westow and Malton areas.