Paedophile in ‘predatory’ victim row now has sentence increased

A paedophile who walked free from court has had his sentence increased to 12 months due to a technicality (Flickr (Ariaski))

A paedophile who walked free from court after his 13-year-old victim was branded “predatory” by a prosecutor has had his sentence increased to 12 months due to a technicality.

Neil Wilson was first handed an eight-month suspended sentence after admitting engaging in sexual activity with the girl, as well as separate counts of making indecent images, at Snaresbrook Crown Court in east London last week.

News that the prosecutor Robert Colover had labelled the young victim “predatory” and “sexually experienced” caused outrage and led to his suspension from prosecuting sexual offence cases pending a review by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

Judge Nigel Peters QC is also being investigated by the Office for Judicial Complaints for remarking that his sentence took into account how the girl looked and behaved. Judge Peters altered Wilson’s sentence yesterday at a brief hearing at Snaresbrook Crown Court. Making no reference to the storm surrounding the case, the judge altered Wilson’s total sentence to 12 months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years, but kept the sentence for sexual activity with a child the same, at eight months suspended for two years.

Explaining the decision to Wilson, who appeared via videolink from York magistrates’ court, the judge told him that he was revoking a community order and imposing additional suspended jail terms for two counts involving indecent photographs and another indictment involving five counts of possessing extreme pornographic images.

The addition of the suspended sentences was commensurate with the reduction of the supervision element from three to two years, he said. A sexual offences prevention order remains in place. Wilson already faces having his sentence reviewed after Attorney General Dominic Grieve agreed to examine the case. The Prime Minister David Cameron has said the CPS was “absolutely right” to label Mr Colover’s comments “inappropriate”.

The shadow Justice Secretary Sadiq Khan said the judge should take the opportunity to apologise to the young victim. He said: “Bearing in mind Judge Peters’ outrageous comments will have done untold damage to the confidence of victims and witnesses, I would expect the judge to try and rectify the damage. This also provides Judge Peters with the perfect opportunity to also apologise to the child victim of this crime.”