Female paedophile, 37, may be jailed for life for raping and sexually abusing 13-year-old girl in ‘shockingly depraved’ attacks that were filmed and photographed, judge says
- Female paedophile, 37, may be jailed for life for raping and abusing girl, 13
- Vicki Bevan, from Merseyside, admitted repeatedly sexually assaulting the child
- Judge Menary said he is considering an ‘indefinite’ or life sentence for Bevan
- He said: ‘Just when you think you have heard the worst, another comes along’
A female paedophile who admitted raping and sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl could be jailed for life, the judge presiding over her case said.
Vicki Bevan, 37, from St Helens, Merseyside, pleaded guilty to 36 sexual offences against the child at an earlier hearing, including one count of rape and five counts of assault by penetration.
Judge Andrew Menary QC, the Recorder of Liverpool, said of her crimes were ‘shockingly depraved’ and ‘just when you think you have heard the worst, another one comes along’.
He said he was considering a life sentence for rapist Bevan.
Vicki Bevan, 37, (pictured) pleaded guilty to 36 sexual offences in Liverpool Crown Court, including one count of rape and five of assault by penetration against a child
Bevan laughed and smiled with security officers in court today, before wiping away tears with a white tissue when the judge came into court
Bevan sexually abused a vulnerable victim with Paul Rafferty, 62, and also molested her with a second man, Tony Hutton, 42.
The horrific sexual abuse was filmed and photographed and images were shared between the group, along with twisted messages.
The three paedophiles, all from St Helens, appeared in the dock for sentence at Liverpool Crown Court this morning, when Bevan laughed and smiled with security officers, before wiping away tears with a white tissue when the judge came into court.
Bevan was due to be sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday.
Yet Judge Menary adjourned sentencing, saying he was considering an ‘indefinite’ or life sentence for Bevan and wanted written submissions on the matter from her lawyers before he decides.
Bevan has also pleaded guilty to 17 counts of making an indecent image of a child, with two of these counts made up of 52 photos of penetrative sex.
She admitted two counts of possessing extreme pornography, relating to 100 ‘grossly offensive, disgusting or otherwise obscene’ animal porn images.
Judge Menary said any ‘blame sharing’ claim by Bevan in her defence, that she was ‘led on’ by the others, will not be accepted
Judge Menary added: ‘Of particular concern to the court is the fact that there are exchanges of messages which are shockingly depraved fantasies.
‘They did not remain as fantasies. Some of these were played out in real life.
‘Just when you think you have heard the worst, another one comes along.
‘It’s all of that, that the court will be concerned with.’
Judge Menary said any ‘blame sharing’ claim by Bevan in her defence, that she was ‘led on’ by the others, will not be accepted.
The girl involved, as a victim of sexual offences, cannot be identified.
Rafferty has pleaded guilty to 10 sexual offences, including rape and Hutton has pleaded guilty to four sexual offences.
All three were remanded into custody to be sentenced on May 13 when the full facts of the case will be opened in court.
The judge said written submissions from Mr Duffy and Martine Snowdon, prosecuting, should consider Bevan’s ‘risk in the future and the extent to which it might be said the underlying health or mental health issues have an impact on her culpability’.
Judge Menary asked Rafferty and Hutton’s lawyers to make submissions on their ‘risk and dangerousness’.
The judge noted in interviews the three defendants took part in with the Probation Service for pre-sentence reports there was ‘a degree of blame sharing’ and asked whether this would be relied upon at sentence.
Tom Watson, defending Hutton, told the court he ‘takes full responsibility for his offending despite what your Lordship may have seen in the report’.
He said: ‘He will not veer away from taking full responsibility for each of the offences he’s pleaded guilty to.’
Judge Menary told Mr Duffy: ‘I’m bound to say if your client suggests she was encouraged and got led on by others, it would not be accepted.’
Mr Duffy said this would not be put forward by Bevan.
Judge Andrew Menary QC, the Recorder of Liverpool, said of her crimes were ‘shockingly depraved’ and ‘just when you think you have heard the worst, another one comes along’. He said he was considering a life sentence for rapist Bevan
Simon Christie, defending Rafferty, said his client had not gone ‘quite as far’ in his comments for the report. Like Hutton, Rafferty showed no emotion in the dock.
Judge Menary said he would adjourn sentencing until May 13 and remanded the three defendants in custody.
He ordered all three defendants to be in person for the sentencing as opposed to via video link.
However, he said he would consider written submissions from Mr Duffy on this point. If the three paedophiles are found to be dangerous offenders they may receive extended sentences.
Judge Andrew Menary QC, Honorary Recorder of Liverpool, said he would adjourn sentencing until May 13 in Liverpool Crown Court (pictured) and remanded the three defendants in custody
They would then have to spend at least two thirds – rather than the usual half of any custodial term – behind bars, before they could apply for parole.
At that stage, if they were no longer considered to be a risk, they could be released on licence.
However, if Bevan’s crimes are deemed to be serious enough to warrant a life sentence, she would instead be given a minimum term in prison, which she would have to serve in its entirety.
Only once that minimum term was complete would she be able to apply for parole and, if and when she was released, she would be subject to licence conditions for the rest of her life.
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