ROBERT GILLINGS SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT AT ADDLESTONE AND NEW FOREST HOME

In a case that has shocked the community, Robert Gillings, a 63-year-old man from Addlestone, Surrey, was sentenced to 18 months in prison following his conviction for sexually assaulting a young girl. The assault took place at a swimming pool located at the country residence of television presenter and ChildLine advocate Esther Rantzen, situated in the New Forest, Hampshire.

Gillings was found guilty on two counts of indecent assault against the five-year-old girl after a trial held at Guildford Crown Court. The court heard that the girl had disclosed to her parents that Gillings had repeatedly assaulted her prior to the incident at the New Forest property. She recounted to the court that Gillings had threatened her, saying, “if I told mummy he would kill her,” which added a layer of fear and trauma to her testimony.

During the trial, Gillings, a former British Airways engineer, explained the incident in question at the swimming pool. He claimed that the events were innocent and playful, stating, “We were playing tag at the time, swimming backwards and forwards. It was just a bit of fun – my fingers caught hold of her bikini just at the bottom or the side somewhere.” However, the jury did not accept his version of events. They returned majority verdicts of guilty on two charges of indecent assault, including one that occurred at Ms. Rantzen’s residence. The jury also acquitted him of two other charges.

Throughout the proceedings, Gillings’s defense attorney, Anne Cotcher, maintained that her client did not accept guilt. She stated, “This is not a man who aimed to hoodwink the jury. He is sure in his own mind what’s happened. He accepts, though, that the jury had taken a different view and he must be punished.”

Judge John Bull addressed the court, emphasizing the severity of the case. He described the incident at Ms. Rantzen’s home as the culmination of a series of repeated assaults over the course of a year. Given the nature of the charges—sexual offenses committed against a young girl entrusted to his care—Judge Bull concluded that only a custodial sentence was appropriate. The sentence reflects the gravity of the crimes and the breach of trust involved in this disturbing case.