PAUL WOODMANSEY SENT TO PRISON FOR SEXUAL OFFENSES IN GAINESBOROUGH AND SLOUGH

In March 2010, a serious criminal case unfolded involving Paul Woodmansey, a lorry driver with connections to Gainsborough and Slough, who was ultimately sentenced to prison for engaging in sexual activities with a minor. The incident drew significant attention from the local community and law enforcement authorities alike.

Woodmansey, aged 50 at the time, was found guilty of having a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl. The court proceedings revealed that the offenses took place over a period spanning from May 2nd to July 10th, 2009. The case was brought to light after the girl confided in her school friends about her inappropriate relationship with Woodmansey, prompting an investigation by police authorities.

According to court records, Woodmansey was initially questioned after the girl’s disclosures. During police interviews, he admitted to being aware of her young age but did not immediately cease the relationship. The court heard that the sexual encounters began when Woodmansey parked his vehicle on an industrial estate near Gainsborough, where he was working as a truck driver. During this time, he invited the girl to join him for a ride to Immingham, which led to them having sex in the sleeping area of his lorry.

Prosecutor Jon Straw detailed that despite the significant age difference, Woodmansey was not deterred when the girl suggested they have sex. Instead, he agreed and they engaged in sexual activity in the cab of his truck. The relationship did not end there; it continued on multiple occasions at Woodmansey’s residence in Gainsborough. During these visits, the girl consumed alcohol and cannabis, substances that further complicated the case and highlighted the inappropriate nature of the relationship.

Mr. Straw emphasized that Woodmansey, as an adult, should have exercised better judgment and resisted the temptation to pursue a relationship with a minor. Instead, he continued to pursue her over several months, providing her with alcohol and cannabis not as part of a consensual or mutual relationship, but in a manner that was clearly exploitative.

Further troubling details emerged when police questioned Woodmansey after the girl’s friends revealed their suspicions. During these interviews, he admitted to knowing her age but also made an inappropriate offer of £50 for oral sex, which he later asked the girl not to disclose.

Defense lawyer Michael Cranmer-Brown argued that Woodmansey was paying a heavy price for his actions and suggested that this was an isolated incident unlikely to recur. He acknowledged that, as an older man, Woodmansey should have resisted the girl’s advances, especially given her age.

Ultimately, Woodmansey, who was formerly residing in Gainsborough and later living on Tamar Way in Slough, pleaded guilty to six charges of sexual activity with a child and one count of attempting to pervert the course of justice. The court, presided over by Judge Michael Heath, sentenced him to three and a half years in prison. Judge Heath highlighted the significant age disparity and the gravity of the offense, stating that the law exists to protect young girls from exploitation and that Woodmansey’s actions were profoundly wrong.

In addition to his prison sentence, Woodmansey was ordered to register as a sex offender and was disqualified from working with children for the remainder of his life, underscoring the serious consequences of his misconduct.