Lee Perkins, 37, who is of no fixed abode in Caerphilly, will spend 28 months in prison after being sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court for offences against two girls who were aged 12 and 14 at the time in 2023.
The judge told him that the time he has already spent in custody will count towards the term. Police have released his custody photo following the hearing.
Convicted in his absence
Perkins failed to attend his trial while on bail, and it went ahead without him. A jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts on all three counts:
- Two counts of engaging in sexual communication with a child
- One count of assault of a girl under 13 by touching
The court was told he had been remanded after being arrested in the summer. He has since served the equivalent of at least six months in custody at Bedford Prison.
What the court heard
Hashim Salmman, prosecuting, said Perkins referred to both girls as “filthy whores” and said they knew how to perform oral sex. He also touched one of the girls’ breasts.
The victim’s words
One of the girls set out the effect on her in a victim impact statement. She said:
“I can’t bring myself to say his name.
“These have been the hardest years of my life.
“It’s something that I will always carry with me.”
The defence
Speaking on Perkins’ behalf, Daniel Williams told the court:
“He understands the trauma he would have put his victims through during the trial.
“The defendant accepts the verdicts of the jury.
“He describes himself as being in a very dark place at the time of the offending – he was drinking heavily and there was substance misuse.”
The judge’s remarks
Judge Eugene Egan did not spare the defendant in his remarks. He told him: “Your language was repugnant.”
The judge continued:
“You were a drunken mess that day – your conduct was thoroughly shameful.
“Your victims describe your language as ‘gross, disgusting and dehumanising.'”
Further orders
As well as the prison sentence, the court ordered:
- Registration as a sex offender for 10 years
- A sexual harm prevention order lasting seven years
- A restraining order, requested by one of the victims, that bans him from contacting her until 2036
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