MAN CONVICTED OF SEXUAL ASSAULT
A woman gave testimony in court revealing that her life was left 'in tatters' after she fell victim to sexual abuse by an 'evil' individual.The woman, who must remain anonymous due to legal restrictions, stated that the trauma from the abuse continues to influence all her personal relationships and greatly affects her mental health.
Scott Lewis, 54 years old, of East Road, Stithians, was convicted of multiple sexual assault charges after a trial at Truro Crown Court earlier this year.
In his sentencing, Judge Simon Carr remarked that Lewis had exhibited no remorse for the harm inflicted on her.
He told Lewis: “You abused her in the most terrible way.” Judge Carr also criticised the early response to her complaints, saying she had been “catastrophically let down” by those meant to protect her after she reported the abuse to police but no action was taken initially.
Highlighting the lasting harm caused, Judge Carr added: “The effect on her has been truly devastating.
Anybody reading her personal impact statement would see it has affected every aspect of her life and will continue to do so.
“You have shown no remorse for what you have done and the evil you have inflicted.” In a deeply personal victim impact statement read to the court, the woman described the devastating and long-lasting effects of the abuse.
She said it had “torn her life apart” and led to multiple suicide attempts, the first occurring shortly after the abuse began.
She told how she spiralled into alcohol and cannabis use, self-harm, and what she described as a “path of self-destruction”.
The woman has since been diagnosed with multiple medical conditions, including complex post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression and eating disorders.
She continues to suffer flashbacks, nightmares and hallucinations linked to the defendant.
She was forced to abandon her education after experiencing a severe panic attack during a teaching session, which she said was triggered by her trauma.
“The offending took my future potential away,” she said, describing how she turned to alcohol and drugs “just to forget for a short time”.
The woman said she has “hundreds of scars” from self-harm, and nerve damage.
She told the court she had once hoped to work with young people but no longer believes that is possible, and has decided not to have children — decisions she described as direct consequences of the abuse.
Since the trial, she has required ongoing mental health support, including home treatment, medication and hospital admission.
Despite Lewis’s conviction, she said she continues to feel overwhelmed and at times even guilty.
Lewis was sentenced to a total of nine years in prison.
