SIMON GOODE'S SHOCKING SEXUAL ABUSE IN APPLETON-LE-STREET AND MALTON: COURT REJECTS APPEAL

In December 2009, the Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal of Simon Paul Anthony Goode, a man from Malton, who was convicted of heinous sexual offenses involving a nine-year-old girl. The case, which drew significant public attention, centered around the disturbing abuse that took place in and around the villages of Appleton-le-Street and Malton.

Simon Goode, aged 22 at the time of the appeal, had previously been convicted at York Crown Court in May 2007. His convictions included attempted rape, assault on a child under 13 by penetration, sexual assault, and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. The severity of his crimes led to a sentence of four years' detention in a young offenders' institution. At the time of his arrest and trial, Goode was residing at Quarry Hill in Appleton-le-Street.

During the appeal proceedings held in London’s Criminal Appeal Court, Goode was not personally represented; instead, his legal team submitted written grounds of appeal to the judges, Mr. Justice Langstaff and Judge Elgan Edwards. The defense argued that the trial judge had not adequately summarized the case for the jury and had issued flawed legal instructions, which they claimed warranted a reconsideration of the conviction.

Judge Edwards, however, dismissed these arguments, stating that there was no fault to be found in the way the trial was conducted. He emphasized that the offenses occurred when Goode was approximately 17 or 18 years old, during a time when he and others were playing games in a field. The judge noted that Goode, who had previously been of good character, had consistently denied any involvement in the abuse.

At the original trial, emotional scenes unfolded as Goode was sentenced to four years in prison. He was also placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life, prohibited from being in the company of anyone under 16 for five years, and barred from working with children in any capacity. Additionally, upon his release, he was forbidden from entering the village in Ryedale where the girl’s family resided. The crimes, which began when Goode was just 17, involved a series of disturbing incidents.

Prosecutor Simon Hickey detailed how Goode exploited the pretext of “innocent games” to lure the young girl away from her friends and commit sexual assaults. The abuse took place in various locations, including a cornfield, a back garden, and a patio. Hickey described how Goode kissed the girl in an adult manner and, on one occasion, instructed her to remove her pants. When she objected, he threatened to do “something worse” that would hurt her, compelling her to comply and remove her underwear.

The case highlighted the grave nature of the offenses and the impact on the young victim, as well as the community’s concern over the safety of children in the area. Despite Goode’s protests of innocence, the court upheld his conviction, reaffirming the seriousness of his crimes and the measures taken to protect the public from individuals who pose a threat to children’s safety.