WINSFORD RAPIST JAILED FOR 'HORRIFIC' SEXUAL OFFENCES
A ‘PREDATORY’ rapist from Winsford who ‘manipulated and threatened’ two primary school-age girls to make sure his 'horrific sexually abuse' could go on has been jailed.Paul Bishop denied a total of 18 offences at Chester Crown Court right up until the first day of his trial on Monday, July 21.
Overwhelmed by the evidence against him, the 44-year-old changed his pleas to guilty for eight of the most serious.
His Honour Judge Simon Berkson ordered the other 10 offences to remain on file, and remanded Bishop in custody to await sentencing.
Six of the admitted sex offences were against one victim, and two against the other, beginning in the 2000s and going on for 15 years.
These included multiple counts of rape, including of a child under 13, controlling and coercive behaviour, and other sexual offences against children.
Bishop appeared at Chester Crown Court on Wednesday, October 1, where he was sentenced to 17 years in prison, plus an extended licence period of one year.
Following the sentencing, Detective Constable Leah Bird, who led the investigation, said: “Paul Bishop preyed on the victims, who were primary school age when the abuse began, before subjecting them to years of sexual violence.
He manipulated and threatened them to ensure that he could carry on raping and abusing them.
“Horrific offences such as these affect people in the most profound way and I would like to thank the victims for the immense courage they have shown in coming forward to report the sexual abuse they were subjected to.
Whilst they will never be able to forget about what happened to them, I hope that the significant custodial sentence handed to Bishop by the courts provides them with some closure and enables them to begin to move forward with their lives.
“I also hope this case and the sentence encourages other victims of sexual offences to come forward and report them to us.
“Cheshire Police takes any allegation of sexual offences extremely seriously, no matter how long ago they relate to.
Any allegation will be thoroughly investigated, with the wishes and needs of the victim as our main priority.
“Victims should never feel ashamed to talk about what they have been subjected to.
They will receive the help and support they need from our specialist officers, as well as from other support agencies we work alongside, and all victims of sexual offences have the right to anonymity.”
