HULL MAN JAILED FOR ABUSING GIRL AS HIS BROTHER DID OVER 40 YEARS AGO
A man who sexually abused the same girl as his brother more than 40 years ago has been jailed for six months.Gordon Bassett, 61, may have been "emboldened" by watching his older brother Stephen sexually assaulting the same victim, before he took her on a boat and indecently assaulted her, Hull Crown Court heard.
Both brothers denied any wrongdoing but were convicted by a jury after a trial at the same court in January.
Stephen Bassett, 62, a former Goole taxi firm boss, went onto repeatedly rape another girl and was jailed for 15 years after being convicted of 14 child sex offences.
Following his conviction, Gordon Bassett of Hopewell Road, east Hull, then made "tentative admissions" in a pre-sentence report, which Claire Holmes, mitigating, said showed some remorse.
But he was heavily criticised by Judge David Tremberg, who called his admissions "rather hollow" as he had forced his victim through a trial.
Sentencing Gordon Bassett at Hull Crown Court on Friday, the judge said: "You have demonstrated a propensity towards an interest in sexual activity with children, not only by virtue of [your conviction on] count 16, but also by the fact you then went on to have such contempt for the victim on this indictment that you committed sexual offences against her son." The judge called the impact on the victim "serious and substantial".
The victim, who was raped by Stephen Bassett, bravely read her victim statement to the court during his sentencing.
She said: "At the time Stephen Bassett abused me I remember just retreating into myself.
He would tell me if anyone found out I would be in serious trouble, and I used to feel people would know I was being sexually abused just by looking at me.
I still don't have many friends and don't show my emotions.
I also feel tainted by the abuse as if I'm not good enough.
I feel that the abuse I suffered has caused me to be isolated." She added: "I would like to address this directly to Stephen Bassett: you should be in no doubt that what you did to me has affected me for the rest of my life and you should be ashamed.
I don't feel any prison sentence you are subject to would be enough." The woman his brother Stephen raped courageously read her victim statement to the court during his sentencing.
She described feeling "dirty and ashamed" and still deeply affected by her experience.
The court also noted that the delay in justice was due to her reporting the abuse over 40 years after it happened.
Gordon Bassett also suffered from a "significant" injury sustained while serving in the armed forces, which the court acknowledged.
The judge criticized Bassett's level of remorse, calling his admissions "rather hollow" as he had forced his victim through a trial and denied the offences initially.
He sentenced Gordon Bassett to six months in jail, highlighting his demonstrated interest in sexual activity with children and contempt for his victim.
The article continues with other court cases in Hull.
