Kentish Express Ashford & District
Sex fiend loses life sentence appeal
A sex predator who held the women of Ashford in the grip of a reign of terror has had a bid to overturn his life sentence thrown out by top judges.
John Williams, 48, attacked 23 female victims, mostly close to his own home in Ashford as they walked along pathways in secluded wooded areas, committing a variety of horrific sex crimes.
At Canterbury Crown Court on May 22 this year Williams, of Essetford Road, was jailed for life, with a seven-year minimum term to be served.
He earlier pleaded guilty to three assaults by penetration, seven sexual assaults, an indecent assault, an attempted assault by penetration and a theft and asked for a raft of other sex crimes and offences of dishonesty to be taken into account.
Last Friday, Lord Justice McCombe, Mr Justice MacDuff and Judge Anthony Morris QC, sitting at London’s Criminal Appeal, heard the “dangerous” sex beast’s lawyers argue that he should not have been jailed for life.
They insisted that he is “showing real signs of reform.”
The court heard the bulk of Williams’ attacks took place close to his home over a 12-month period.
Mr Justice MacDuff said: “Williams carried out a campaign of sex attacks on girls and women between the ages of 16 and 50, mostly walking alone on footpaths in wooded areas. “There were 23 female victims”. The judge said his modus operandi was to approach women from behind and put his hand over their mouths before molesting them.
Oliver Saxby QC, for Williams, asked for his life term to be lifted and replaced with a fixed term of imprisonment with a period of extended licence.
He described Williams, who appeared in the dock for the appeal hearing, as “somebody who is showing real signs of reform, or at least an ability to reform.”
The barrister said “headway had been made” since Williams has been put away.
A psychiatric report was now available documenting positive changes in his attitude and behaviour.
Mr Justice MacDuff dismissed his appeal however, saying: “These attacks clearly posed a huge level of danger, potentially to any member of the public. There is no reliable estimate of the length of time he will remain a danger.
“We have the assessment of a consultant psychiatrist, asserting that he is beginning to get to grips with his behaviour and that there is some future hope.
“But within the life term is a minimum period, after which the Parole Board is empowered to consider whether Williams is safe for release.
“It is at that point, not now, that some sort of reliable estimate may be made as to his level of dangerousness.
“Williams is a dangerous offender and, in the judgment of the Crown Court judge, only a life sentence would suffice.
“We cannot fault her judgement in any way – this sentence was not wrong in principle nor was this sentence manifestly excessive.
“His offending was so serious that only a sentence of life imprisonment can provide the proper level of protection for the public,” the appeal judge concluded.