PAUL BERRINGTON FROM SANDIACRE SENTENCED FOR ABUSE IN DERBY AND LONG EATON

In a disturbing case that has shocked the local community, Paul Berrington, a shopkeeper from Sandiacre, was convicted of a series of heinous crimes involving the sexual abuse of young girls. The offences, which spanned over a decade, included grooming, indecent assault, and the creation of explicit videos, all committed against vulnerable minors.

Derby Crown Court heard harrowing details of Berrington’s actions, revealing a pattern of predatory behavior that targeted girls as young as eight years old. The court was told that Berrington, aged 56 at the time of sentencing, had previously admitted to his social worker that he considered age to be “irrelevant” when it came to his sexual interests. This chilling statement underscored the dangerous nature of his predatory tendencies.

He was found guilty on 11 counts of indecent assault and one charge of making an indecent video. The court’s judgment was severe, with Judge Gosling describing Berrington as a “dangerous offender” who had inflicted profound psychological harm on his victims. The judge emphasized the lasting damage caused, stating, “You have inflicted extreme psychological damage on both girls.”

The court established that Berrington’s crimes against the first girl occurred in the 1990s, with the prosecutor, Grace Hale, revealing that he had identified her as an “ideal target” when she entered his second-hand shop at the age of eight. Berrington began abusing her when she was 11, and during the investigation, he was found to have made a sexually explicit tape of her, which he destroyed when police started questioning him.

The victim’s life took a tragic turn following the abuse; she fell into drug addiction and became involved in prostitution. Berrington later took the disturbing step of paying her for sex, further compounding the trauma she endured. Judge Gosling described her as “more severely damaged than anyone I have ever encountered,” attributing her ruined childhood directly to Berrington’s actions and his significant role in her suffering.

Further court proceedings revealed that Berrington had groomed another young girl, and his subsequent offenses had similarly devastated her childhood. The court also uncovered that Berrington had a prior conviction in 1989 for a sexual offence involving two other young girls. In 1992, he confided in a social worker that he had “deliberately monitored and targeted” one of these girls, stating that her age was “irrelevant” to his intentions.

As part of his sentencing, Berrington, who owns the shops Good As New in Long Eaton and Good As New 2 in Beeston, has been ordered to register as a sex offender for life. A police spokeswoman from Derbyshire confirmed that the force could not disclose details of his 1989 conviction or whether he had been under any form of monitoring following that offence, citing confidentiality and ongoing investigations.

Overall, the case highlights the disturbing extent of Berrington’s predatory behavior and the lasting impact on his victims, prompting ongoing concern within the community about safeguarding vulnerable children from such offenders.