Matthew Toyer (Image: Gwent Police)
Last Updated: 3 minutes ago
A 46-year-old man who subjected a young girl to serious sexual abuse has been handed a 16-year sentence after a jury found him guilty at Newport Crown Court.
Matthew Toyer, of Haven Way, Abergavenny, was convicted of two counts of assaulting a girl under 13 by penetration and one count of causing or inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity. The offences were committed in the Brecon area during this decade.
The offences
Prosecutor Ian Wright told the court that Toyer had warned his victim she was “not allowed to tell anyone” about what he had done to her.
Following a trial, the jury returned guilty verdicts on all three charges.
Victim impact
The girl’s mother delivered a powerful victim impact statement to the court, describing the lasting damage inflicted on her daughter.
“It was a living nightmare,” she said. “The disclosure that followed was horrifying.
“I am deeply concerned about the long-term impact this abuse will have on her emotional development.
“Her childhood innocence has been taken from her. She has been exposed to sexual knowledge far beyond her years.
“I grieve not only for what happened to my daughter, but for the version of her childhood that should have existed – that loss is permanent.”
She added: “No sentence can restore the innocence that was taken, nor undo the trauma she has carried.
“What has been done to her cannot be undone. I ask the court to recognise that the consequences of these crimes extend far beyond the offences themselves and will remain with my daughter for the rest of her life.”
Mitigation
Owen Williams, representing Toyer, told the court his client had no previous convictions and was a man of previous good character. The defendant had been a successful businessman and a reserve firefighter in Abergavenny, the court heard.
Sentencing
Judge Eugene Egan said Toyer’s offending had caused a “profound” effect on his victim.
The defendant received a custodial term of 15 years with an additional one-year extended licence period. He must register as a sex offender for life and was made subject to both a sexual harm prevention order and a restraining order, each lasting 20 years.
