A man who raped a schoolgirl while she watched her favourite Disney film has been jailed for 10 years by a judge.
David Thompson, 48, of Skeffington Road, Deepdale, Preston, was found guilty of raping the youngster as she watched a Snow White film at her home, the day after her 12th birthday.
The former painter and decorator was unanimously found guilty by a jury on Tuesday after a trial at Preston Crown Court - almost a decade after he carried out the attack.
Thompson, who wore a cream hooded cardigan, kept leaning forward to glance at the public gallery as the proceedings were heard.
Judge Jacqueline Beech describd him as a violent and controlling man and said: “In committing that vile act you stole her childhood.”
The court heard the victim’s ordeal had affected her behaviour.
Judge Beech added: “As a young adult she has been forced to live with feelings she had done something wrong to deserve your conduct towards her. She questioned whether she had deserved what had taken place.”
Thompson has one previous conviction for drink driving from 2001.
Defending, Jon Close revealed Thompson’s elderly parents had “remained ignorant” of the case until Monday.
He said: “He has remained of good character since the incident. He was very lightly convicted before the incident.
“He is 48 and this will be his first experience of custody and a lengthy one at that.
“When he’s released he will be in his 50s and will have to rebuild a life from scratch. That, bluntly, is all that can be said.”
The victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, bravely attended court to see her attacker brought to justice.





Comments