May 1, 2015 4.29 pm This story is over 106 months old

Pensioner jailed for sexual assault on Lincoln boy in cubicle

Abusive attack: A pensioner has been jailed for 15 months after sexually assaulting a 14-year-old Lincoln boy in a public toilet cubicle.
Lincoln Crown Court. Photo: Martin Pettitt

A Horncastle pensioner who sexually assaulted a 14-year-old Lincoln boy after pushing his way in to a public toilet cubicle was jailed for 15 months on May 1.

Colin Paul, 69, exposed himself and manhandled the teenager around the cubicle during the terrifying incident in Lumley Square, Skegness.

Lincoln Crown Court heard Paul was caught after the boy managed to get free and alerted his sister who was able to give police a description of the offender’s car as he drove away.

The court was told police used CCTV to trace Paul. During the police interview Paul admitted he was in the toilets and told officers he had never behaved in that way before.

Jeremy Janes, prosecuting, told the court Paul used physical force to move the boy around after pushing his way in to the cubicle and at one point the child’s trousers were pulled down.

Mr Janes read out a victim impact statement from the boy who lives in Lincoln and was visiting Skegness with members of his family.

In the statement the boy described how he was previously always a “happy and fun person” but was now worried about everything and felt anxious away from home.

Michael Cranmer-Brown, mitigating, told the court Paul had no previous convictions and his actions seemed totally out of character.

Mr Cranmer-Brown said at the time of the assault Paul was very lonely and had very little contact with family or friends for nine months.

Paul, of Queen Street, Horncastle, admitted a charge of sexual assault on August 1, last year.

Passing sentence Recorder Gareth Evans QC told him that his actions on this occasion were ‘disgraceful’.

The Recorder said: “This really was a physical, abusive attack on a young boy who must have been terrified.

“It has had an effect on him, hopefully it will be temporary, but there is no way of knowing that.”