Life sentence plea for sex pervert fails
Years of abuse against kids began in Wishaw
A twisted pervert, first jailed for an indecent assault in Wishaw in the mid 1990s, has escaped life imprisonment – despite a plea from the Attorney General.
Christopher Astrauskas, 53, began committing offences against children in the 1980s but was first jailed for an indecent assault in Wishaw in 1995.
In Wishaw, he forced a 12-year-old girl from her bike and taken her to isolated woodland, where he abused her before handing her £5.
Following his three prison sentences, Astrauskas moved to the Midlands where he subjected another young girl to horrific abuse, some of which he photographed.
Those offences did not come to light until many years later, when photos were discovered in a raid on his home.
Video clips stored on his mobile phone also revealed that he had abused another little girl more recently.
Astrauskas admitted sexual and indecent assaults and child pornography offences and was jailed at Wolverhampton Crown Court last month for a total of 18 years.
Every attempt made to change his ways had failed, Appeal Court judges Lord Justice Simon, Mr Justice HaddonCave and Judge Deborah Taylor QC were told.
The public needed to be adequately protected from him, even if that meant a life sentence.
However, Lord Justice Simon said: “It is submitted that a sentence of imprisonment for life was justified, given the offender’s history.
“He had been convicted of very serious offences and there were grounds for believing he would be a danger for a period that could not be estimated.
“But we are not persuaded that a life sentence was justified.”
Under sentencing rules, Astrauskas could potentially serve every day of the 18-year term, because only the Parole Board can order his early release.
He had been convicted of very serious offences and there were grounds he would be a danger . . .