June 28, 2019 12.27 pm This story is over 63 months old

Church man jailed for sexually touching vulnerable women

All three victims suffered psychological harm
John Vallance was jailed for three years and three months. Photo: Lincolnshire Police

A Grantham man who was active in the church and described as ‘kind’ has been convicted of sexually touching three vulnerable women.

John Vallance, 68, of Brewery Hill, Grantham, had claimed all three women were lying. However, a jury at Lincoln Crown Court found Vallance guilty of nine sexual charges after a trial in January this year.

He has been jailed for three years and three months.

The jury heard Vallance touched his first victim in 2011 when he was manager of Timpsons in Grantham. This involved Vallance touching the woman under her clothing and also repeatedly kissing her.

Vallance was also convicted of sexually touching two other women over their clothing in 2016.

This involved pinching their bottoms and putting his hand in one of the women’s trousers over her underwear.

Graham Huston, prosecuting, told a sentencing hearing at Lincoln Crown Court that all three victims had suffered psychological harm.

Victim impact statements from each of the women, who cannot be named, were read out in court.

Vallance’s first victim described how the touching came as a “bad surprise” and made her feel suicidal before his trial.

She said: “It made me frightened and uncomfortable. I kept it to myself for a while because I thought no one would believe me.”

Vallance’s second victim said “ever since this happened I have felt unhappy,” and his third victim added “when I go to bed I don’t sleep very well because I worry about what happened.”

Michael Cranmer-Brown, mitigating said Vallance was the main carer for his own wife.

Mr Cranmer-Brown told the court: “There are various references which speak well of Mr Vallance as a kind and generous man, who is active in the church. He had no previous convictions and this seemed out of character.”

Passing sentence Judge John Pini QC told Vallance he was satisfied there had been grooming of his victims.

The judge said: “The harm you caused the complainants will be long lasting and far reaching.”

Vallance was also made the subject of a restraining order which prevents any contact with his victims for seven years.