A man who failed to attend his own trial while on bail has been jailed for 28 months for sexual offences against two girls aged 12 and 14.
Lee Perkins, 37, of no fixed abode in Caerphilly, was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court. The judge there branded the language he had used towards the girls “repugnant”.
The verdicts
The offences date back to 2023. A jury unanimously convicted Perkins without him in court, after he did not turn up to face trial. He was found guilty of:
- Two counts of engaging in sexual communication with a child
- One count of assault of a girl under 13 by touching
What the court heard
Hashim Salmman, prosecuting, outlined how Perkins touched one girl’s breasts. He also made remarks about both girls knowing how to perform oral sex.
The court heard that before the assault, he had called the two children “filthy whores”.
The impact on the victims
In a victim impact statement, one of the girls 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.”
Defence mitigation
Speaking on behalf of Perkins, defence barrister Daniel Williams said: “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.”
Perkins was arrested in the summer and remanded into custody at Bedford Prison. The court was told he had already served the equivalent of at least six months there.
The judge’s remarks
Judge Eugene Egan told Perkins: “Your language was repugnant.
“You were a drunken mess that day – your conduct was thoroughly shameful.
“Your victims describe your language as ‘gross, disgusting and dehumanising.'”
Sentencing
Alongside the prison term, the judge imposed several orders:
- 28 months in prison, with the time already spent in custody counting towards it
- Registration as a sex offender for 10 years
- A sexual harm prevention order lasting seven years
- A restraining order, requested by one of the girls, banning him from contacting her until 2036
