REGENALD LAWSON, TIVERTON, JAILED FOR SEXUAL ABUSE AND ADMISSION IN COURT

In August 2014, Reginald Lawson, a 67-year-old retired banker and property developer from Tiverton, was sentenced to prison after admitting to abusing two young girls aged seven and ten. Lawson, known locally as Beresford of Berry and recognized for his charitable work in Mid Devon, wrote a disturbing note following a failed suicide attempt, in which he confessed, "I am a kiddy fiddler."

The abuse occurred when Lawson visited the girls at his home in Tiverton. He threatened them to keep silent, but eventually, one girl confided in her mother, leading to police involvement. The investigation uncovered that Lawson had assaulted the girls, with the charges including seven counts of sexual assault. During court proceedings at Exeter Crown Court, Judge Francis Gilbert, QC, sentenced him to six years and eight months in prison.

Judge Gilbert commented on Lawson’s actions, stating, "You say you were not attracted to the children but I find these offences were committed for your own sexual gratification. I can only hope that because they came to light reasonably early it may be possible for the girls to recover sooner rather than later from the serious effects."

The prosecution, led by Mr. Adrian Chaplin, outlined that the incidents involved a girl now aged ten and another aged seven. The investigation began when the younger victim revealed Lawson had touched her, prompting her older sister to disclose her own abuse. Lawson initially denied the allegations but was later found to have taken an overdose of painkillers at the Best Western Hotel in Tiverton. Authorities discovered a handwritten note in his luggage saying, "I have let down so many people. I regret to say I am a kiddy fiddler."

Defense lawyer Miss Julia Brassington acknowledged Lawson's admission, highlighting his efforts to address his behavior, noting that he had spent 35 years in the financial sector before retiring early and later working as a bus driver and property developer. She emphasized his community involvement, stating, "He has been a man of exemplary character who has helped Devon in Sight and been the chairman of the local branch of the University of the Third Age. He also teaches a photographic course and now teaches literacy while in prison."

Earlier in July 2014, Lawson faced additional charges related to a ten-year-old girl in Tiverton. He pleaded guilty to seven counts of sexual assault, one in Devon and another in Kent, and was remanded in custody to await sentencing, which is scheduled for the following month. Judge Erik Salomonsen ordered Lawson to undergo a risk assessment by a probation officer and to sign the sex offenders’ register immediately, emphasizing the importance of evaluating his potential for future offending.