PETER MACE FROM WOODSTOCK JAILED FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT ON SEVEN-YEAR-OLD GIRL IN OXFORD

In a case that has shocked the local community of Woodstock and the wider Oxfordshire area, Peter Mace, a 40-year-old resident of Hill Rise in Woodstock, was sentenced to four years in prison after being convicted of sexually assaulting a seven-year-old girl. The incident took place over a three-day period from December 20 to December 23, 2012, and the conviction was handed down following a trial at Oxford Crown Court.

During the sentencing hearing on a recent Friday, Judge Patrick Eccles addressed Mace directly, emphasizing the gravity of the crime. Mace appeared visibly emotional, with tears in his eyes as the judge explained that the court had no alternative but to impose an immediate custodial sentence. The judge described the offense as particularly heinous, highlighting the profound emotional and psychological harm inflicted upon the young victim.

Terence Woods, representing Mace, provided a defense that sought to contextualize his client’s actions. Woods stated that Mace’s offending was largely linked to episodes of heavy drinking, which he described as binge drinking behavior. He explained that Mace would often abstain from alcohol for months at a time but would then become lost in days of excessive consumption. Woods also revealed that Mace had recently been devastated by the realization that a boy he believed to be his son was actually fathered by someone else. This revelation, coupled with Mace’s recent redundancy from employment, had a significant emotional toll on him.

Judge Eccles did not accept these mitigating factors as sufficient to lessen the severity of the crime. He described the offense as “shocking” and told Mace that his actions had effectively destroyed his own life. The judge condemned the act as “revolting and unnatural,” emphasizing the deep emotional scars left on the young girl. He pointed out that the trauma of reliving the incident in court had prevented the victim from completing her testimony, underscoring the lasting impact of such abuse.

In his remarks, Judge Eccles made it clear that the fact Mace did not fit the typical profile of a paedophile did not diminish the harm caused by his actions. The court’s message was unequivocal: any sexual interference with children is profoundly damaging, regardless of the offender’s background or personal circumstances. As part of his sentence, Mace will be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life, ensuring ongoing monitoring and restrictions aimed at protecting the community from future harm.