Leeds man jailed for rape and indecent assault offences dating back more than 30 years

Peter Battensby, now aged 63, appeared for sentence at Leeds Crown Court this morning after being found guilty of 14 offences at trial earlier this month.

The offences for which he was found guilty - eight counts of indecent assault, four counts of rape, one of voyeurism and one of sexual assault - dated back to February 1987.

Some of the indecent assaults were committed against girls who were aged 12 and 15 at the time.

Prosecutor Matthew Bean told the court how Battensby took one victim to a remote location where he attempted to rape her, but she managed to fight him off.

The court heard that when one of the girls was aged 13 or 14, he took her to a nightclub, bought her alcohol and took her to get a tattoo.

Mr Bean also read out personal statements in court from the victims.

One said: "He ruined my life, destroyed my childhood and I did not want a boyfriend or relationship as I had been labelled as damaged goods."

Another said: "It is difficult to put into words the emotional damage this has caused over the years and continues to cause to this day. I lived in fear and felt humiliated, worthless and degraded. My confidence and self-esteem has been destroyed."

Handing Battensby a jail term totalling 21 years, Judge Rodney Jameson, QC, said: "Over the course of some 30 years you have blighted the lives of so very many people. It is obvious from the victim impact statements that the circumstances in which they were committed has proved devastating and lifelong. You have said that each of these brave women who gave evidence were liars and fantasists. You have shown no shred of remorse, in fact, the reverse."