Sex offender who fled court trial and was found in Portsmouth is jailed

Paul Ashworth, 71, appeared remotely to be sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court, Suffolk, for three sexual offences.

Ashworth, from Carlton Colville, was on trial in February but as the jury retired to consider their verdicts, he vanished from court. After a 19-day-search by Suffolk Police, Hampshire Police, and the Border Force, Ashworth was located more than 150 miles away in Portsmouth.

Ashworth, from Lowestoft, Suffolk, was not on remand while the trial was ongoing and was found after he withdrew cash from an ATM.

At the time of his disappearance, Ashworth was found guilty in his absence of three counts of indecent assaults - all of which were sexual offences against children.

He was also found guilty of three counts of making indecent images of children and admitted absconding while on bail.

All three indecent assaults related to different victims - with the earliest dating back to the 1980s - and the victims spoke before the court. One said: "The man in front of you is so brazen and arrogant, he thought he could get away with what he's done to us."

The court heard that, under today's guidelines, Ashworth's abuse of her would be categorised as rape of a child under 13. The woman said that the abuse happened when she was four years old.

She said: "He made me feel the weight of my shame by telling me that it was wrong, that I was wrong. The shame overwhelmed me. You did that to me. You wanted us to fall apart. You nearly succeeded countless times."

She discussed the devastating effect Ashworth's abuse has had on her life, and her determination to become a counsellor to help others who have suffered as she has.

She said that, after reporting Ashworth's abuse in 2018, his trial had been cancelled four times, which she said was due to his claims of ill-health.

Ashworth's second victim described how trauma has "shaped every part of me" and had left her unable to trust adults.

His third victim said that Ashworth had "inflicted wounds that have never fuelled healed" and said that mental health difficulties as a result of the abuse have "followed me like shadows".

She said she had hoped he would one day take accountability for his actions, but "after he selfishly absconded from court I realised this would never happen".

Ashworth's defence barrister told the court that his client now suffers from vascular dementia and mobility issues.

Judge David Wilson observed that the defendant had successfully managed to leave court

and remain undetected for more than two weeks.

In sentencing Ashworth, Judge Wilson noted that the sentencing guidelines in regard to sexual offences have changed significantly since Ashworth committed the offences.

He said the maximum sentences he was able to impose would be lower than if the offences were committed today.

In total, Judge Wilson sentenced Ashworth to nine years in jail, with another year on licence.

For the first indecent assault, he sentenced Ashworth to four years in prison with an additional year on licence.

For the second count, Ashworth received four years, to be served consecutively and for the third, he received one year to be served concurrently.

For the first charge of making indecent images of children, Ashworth received eight months imprisonment, to be served consecutively. For the second and third counts, he received four months and two months, running concurrently.

Finally, he received four months for absconding from court, to be served consecutively.