Sponsored by
Six years jail for Cross Gates child rapist who escaped justice for 25 years
A child rapist who cheated justice for a quarter-of-a-century has been jailed for six years.
Michael Lawrence, 64, raped a 14-year-old girl in Cross Gates, Leeds, on New Year's Eve in 1982.
His crime went undetected until early 2006 when his victim began to speak of her nightmare ordeal after seeking counselling for marriage problems.
Judge Alastair McCallum told Lawrence: "Her life has been permanently blighted, you know in your heart just what you have done."
Felicity Davis, prosecuting, said Lawrence, of Manston, Leeds, kissed the girl as he raped her and she remembered smelling booze on his breath.
Ms Davis said his victim, to this day, does not like kissing and does not like the smell of alcohol. "She had grown up without any close friends and has a history of suffering panic attacks and depression," said Ms Davis.
Nicholas Lumley, defending, said Lawrence, who pleaded guilty to rape and indecent assault, had not committed any other offences before or after.
Mr Lumley said Lawrence has a medical condition that will make his stay in prison "more difficult to bear," adding: "The offences to which he has admitted will inevitably make his time in custody difficult."
Grey-haired, bespectacled Lawrence who wore a smart dark suit, showed no emotion as he was sentenced.
Judge McCallum ordered that Lawrence's name be placed on the Sex Offenders' Register for life.
And he made a sexual offences prevention order banning Lawrence from having unsupervised contact with any child under 16, allowing any person under 16 in his home and preventing him from working with children.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Leeds
Tuesday 22 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 11 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North east
