WALTER FIELD'S SENTENCE NEARLY DOUBLED AFTER MABLETHORPE PAEDOPHILE CASE

In a significant legal development, the case of Walter Field, an elderly man from Mablethorpe, has seen his prison sentence substantially increased following an appeal by the Court of Appeal in London. Originally sentenced to five and a half years at Isleworth Crown Court in December 2016, Field's punishment for a series of heinous crimes has now been nearly doubled to a total of 10 years and eight months.

Field, aged 81 and residing at Foxe End in Mablethorpe, was convicted of 12 counts of indecent assault. The charges stem from his abuse of two young girls during the 1960s and 1970s, with some victims as young as six years old. The crimes remained unreported for decades, only coming to light in 2015 when one of the victims decided to report the abuse to authorities. When police apprehended him in June 2015, Field reportedly told officers, “I’ve been waiting 40 years for this,” indicating a disturbing acknowledgment of his long-standing misconduct.

Despite his crimes dating back over 40 years, Field had voluntarily undergone psychiatric treatment in the 1970s and had not offended since that time. His initial sentencing was met with criticism, as the judges at Isleworth Crown Court deemed it too lenient given the severity of his offenses. The Solicitor-General, Robert Buckland QC, argued that the original sentence was “unduly lenient,” prompting an appeal.

During the appeal hearing, the Court of Appeal judges, including Lord Justice Burnett, Mr. Justice Green, and Mr. Justice Morris, reviewed the case. They heard testimony from one of the victims, who described how the abuse had a lasting impact on her life, “blighting” her existence. Lord Justice Burnett emphasized the profound effect the abuse had on her, noting that her relationships had suffered because she struggled to disclose her trauma to partners, which contributed to multiple relationship breakdowns.

In their ruling, the judges agreed that the original sentence did not adequately reflect the gravity of Field’s crimes. Lord Justice Burnett stated, “What she endured has resulted in a series of relationships falling apart when she explained to her partners what had happened to her.” The court concluded that the initial sentence was “not only lenient, but was unduly lenient and by a substantial margin,” leading to the significant increase in his prison term.

This case highlights the ongoing challenges in addressing historic abuse cases and the importance of ensuring that sentences reflect the true severity of such crimes, regardless of how much time has passed since their commission.