23 YEARS IN JAIL FOR SEX ABUSER
Court hears one victim of ‘cowardly, inadequate and totally deviant’ man ‘didn’t want to live any more’:
A“COWARDLY, inadequate and deviant” paedophile has been jailed for 23 years for raping and sexually assaulting two children aged under 10.
David Daniel Hayes, 40, of Bridge Street, Llanrwst, had been found guilty in February this year of 12 counts of rape, abuse and serious sexual assault of the children between 2012 and 2015.
During sentencing at Mold Crown Court the convicted paedophile sat, arms folded, shaking his head in denial as Judge Rhys Rowlands catalogued his “appalling depravity”.
A former Bangor City FC press officer, Hayes listened as the judge outlined how he went on the run in November 2015 after his first appearance at Caernarfon Crown Court.
Judge Rowlands said: “I see absolutely no evidence of contrition or remorse on your part. In fact it’s quite
the opposite. After being given bail you left the jurisdiction, ending up in Spain between December 2015 and your arrest in July last year. That cowardly behaviour on your part has caused distress to your victims. You continue to deny responsibility but now you will have to deal with the consequences of your behaviour.”
He said despite the trauma they had been through, his child victims had “come forward and given their evidence in a measured and impressive way”.
He added: “You took away their innocence. You’re a pretty inadequate individual, with a distorted view of life, taking away the innocence of children.”
Earlier the court heard victim impact statements which outlined how one of the victims had been referred to a child psychologist and received medication.
The statement revealed how one child was almost sectioned under the Mental Health Act after suffering a “black time” and saying they “didn’t want to live any more”, because of the abuse meted out by Hayes.
Judge Rowlands said: “(The victim) has suffered severe psychological harm as a result of what you did.”
He said the court was of the opinion Hayes was a “serious risk to children” and his sentence had to “safeguard the public against such risk”.
Sentencing Hayes to 23 years, Judge Rowlands said: “You say you will do nothing to address your totally deviant behaviour. I need to consider how best to address that risk.
“The parole board will have to decide whether you are suitable for release.”
The sentence will be “extended” because of his high risk to children, which means Hayes must serve at least two-thirds before even being eligible for parole.
He will also have to serve an extra two years on licence after the 23 years have elapsed.
He was handed no separate penalty for fleeing bail but was ordered to register as a sex offender for life, was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order and a 10-year restraining order was imposed.