PETER LEIGHTON FROM HARTLEPOOL, HEREFORD, AND CHESTERFIELD FACES EARLY PAROLE AFTER COURT RULING

In a significant development in the ongoing investigation into serious sexual offenses, Peter Leighton, a resident of Hutton Avenue in Hartlepool, has seen a partial reduction in his prison sentence following an appeal ruling. Leighton, who was convicted of heinous crimes involving the conspiracy to rape young girls, has now become eligible for parole consideration two years earlier than initially mandated.

Leighton, aged 47 at the time of sentencing, was sentenced to life imprisonment at Teesside Crown Court in November of the previous year. His conviction was based on two counts of conspiracy to commit rape, alongside charges related to the possession, advertisement, and distribution of indecent photographs of children. The court found sufficient evidence to establish his involvement in these grave offenses, which have caused widespread concern in the communities of Hartlepool and beyond.

The appeal court, comprising Lord Woolf, Mr Justice Steel, and Mr Justice Butterfield, upheld the life sentence but decided to reduce the minimum period Leighton must serve before being eligible for parole from seven and a half years to five and a half years. Lord Woolf emphasized that the life sentence remains appropriate, asserting that Leighton should remain in custody until authorities determine he no longer poses a threat to young girls. However, he acknowledged that the original calculation of the tariff period was flawed, with the trial judge, Mr Justice Rougier, having made an error in his assessment.

The case came to light in April of the previous year when authorities discovered a box of letters in a room previously occupied by Leighton. These letters, written in 1995, detailed disturbing plans involving the abduction, rape, and in some cases, murder of children. The correspondence also included graphic photographs of children engaged in indecent acts, as well as drawings depicting adults committing sexual acts with minors. These materials painted a chilling picture of Leighton's involvement in or at least his fascination with such depraved activities.

Leighton has consistently denied any direct intent to commit acts of child rape. He claimed that his correspondence with two men he met through an internet sex chat room was merely to encourage them to purchase pornography, asserting that no harm was done and that his actions were victimless. His defense attorney, Timothy Roberts, argued before the appeal panel that Leighton did not deserve a life sentence, emphasizing that no actual victims were involved and that his offenses did not result in physical harm to any individual.

Leighton’s criminal history also includes associations with other individuals involved in similar crimes. He was originally tried alongside two co-defendants: Edward Houghton, aged 48, of Arrow View, Kington, Hereford, and Roger Thompson, aged 33, of Mastin Moor, Chesterfield. Both Houghton and Thompson were convicted of conspiring to rape young girls as young as seven and received sentences of eight years each. The case drew considerable media attention due to the severity of the crimes and the locations involved, spanning from Hartlepool to Hereford and Chesterfield, highlighting the widespread nature of this disturbing network.