THOMAS WELLS FROM HOLYWELL AND WASHINGTON ADMITS SEXUAL ABUSE IN HISTORIC CASE

In a significant development at Mold Crown Court, Thomas Wells, a man with a military background, has confessed to a series of historic sexual offences. Wells, aged 56, originally from Holywell and now residing in Washington near Sunderland, was scheduled to face a trial yesterday. However, after some procedural delays, he returned to the courtroom and chose to admit to 13 out of the 14 charges brought against him.

Wells’s admission came after a lengthy legal process, during which he was granted bail until his sentencing in August. The court was warned that he should anticipate a substantial prison term due to the nature of his offences. The charges he admitted included acts of indecency with a boy and indecent assault, with the offences dating back to the late 1980s and early 1990s. These allegations cast a long shadow over his past, revealing troubling misconduct from decades ago.

Despite his admissions, Wells maintained a plea of not guilty to one specific charge — an attempt to perform an illegal sex act on the same boy in the early 1990s. The court allowed this particular charge to remain on the record, and it was not part of the plea deal. Prosecutor Matthew Curtis indicated that Wells’s pleas were accepted by the prosecution, and as a result, there would be no need for a trial on that remaining charge.

During the proceedings, Wells’s defence lawyer, Gareth Bellis, highlighted that the defence team intended to request a psychiatric assessment of Wells. Bellis provided context about Wells’s background, noting that he was a serving soldier during the Falklands conflict. He served as a stretcher bearer and was exposed to some of the most harrowing scenes of war, which may have had lasting psychological effects. Bellis also mentioned that Wells suffers from vascular dementia, a condition that could influence his behaviour and mental state.

Judge Rhys Rowlands addressed Wells directly, emphasizing that incarceration was inevitable given the nature of the offences. The judge warned Wells to expect a significant custodial sentence upon his return to court for sentencing. It was also revealed that since the offences, Wells had been convicted of other crimes involving the downloading of child sex abuse images. As part of his sentence, Wells was ordered to register as a sex offender with the police, a standard requirement for individuals convicted of such offences.

Overall, the case underscores the long-lasting impact of historic abuse allegations and highlights the legal process that seeks justice even decades after the offences occurred. The court’s decision and Wells’s admissions mark a pivotal moment in addressing these serious crimes, with the sentencing scheduled for an upcoming court date.