Unrepentant child rapist, 65, faces an effective life

A LEICESTERSHIRE man who raped and sexually abused two girls he had systematically groomed and manipulated faces the possibility he will spend the rest of his life in prison, writes Paul Beard.

Even if 65-year-old John Gillatt, who accused his victims of lying, does not die in jail, he will be about 80 before the Parole Board will even consider releasing him, a court heard.

Gillatt, of Woodmarket, Lutterworth, had pleaded not guilty at Warwick Crown Court to a number of sexual offences against his two victims.

But the jury convicted him of six charges of rape, three of assault by penetration, three of sexual assault and one of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. He was also found guilty of making and possessing indecent images of children, but was cleared of less serious alleged sexual offences against a third child.

Gillatt, who continues to deny the offences, was jailed for 22 years, with an additional year on licence following his eventual release, if that ever happens.

He was ordered to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

Gillatt will have to serve at least two-thirds of the sentence - just under 15 years - before the Parole Board will even consider a potential release.

He will only be freed before serving the full term if he is no longer considered a danger to children by then.

Prosecutor Stefan Kolodynski said that after coming into contact with his two victims when they were both under 13, Gillatt subjected them to sexual abuse which progressed to rape.

In an impact statement one of them said the abuse had made her feel “like a slag”, which led to her self-harming and considering taking her own life.

Following the jury’s verdicts, Simon Hunka, defending, said: “Of course Gillatt denied all of the offending and he continues to deny it, so I can’t offer any words of remorse on his part or any apology, and many people would think he should go to prison and (we should) throw away the key.

“Of course, the court has to deal with him as an individual, and despite the fact that his behaviour has been of the worst kind, he will suffer greatly.

“He has never before had so much as a parking ticket and the life he hoped for in retirement has gone and he leaves his wife and son to pick up the pieces.

“To go to prison for the first time at his time of life is hard, but to go to prison for the first time for this sort of offence is even worse. He will carry the fear that whatever sentence Your Honour passes on him will in effect be a life sentence.”

Jailing Gillatt, Recorder Rachel Brand QC told him that his outwardly respectable life in the years before his arrest in May last year have been “characterised by hypocrisy”.

She observed he had “ensured the silence” of his first victim by “a combination of threats and psychological manipulation”.

Recorder Brand said Gillatt had then moved his attention to a younger girl, making an indecent video recording of her which he kept until his arrest, and raping her.

And she told Gillatt: “You were devious in the way you manufactured situations so you could be alone with those girls.

“Your corruption of those vulnerable girls was complete and has had a devastating psychological impact on them.

“During the trial you subjected them to accusations that they had lied when, in truth, as the jury found, it was you who had lied,” Recorder Brand said.

“You are, I have no doubt, a dangerous offender.”