Man jailed for non-recent child sex offences in Basingstoke

A man who raped and sexually assaulted two girls in Basingstoke in the 1980s has been jailed for 24 years.

Paul Leslie Cole, 70, of Arundel Road, Great Yarmouth, was found guilty of nine offences including rape and indecent assault during a trial in October this year.

Yesterday (Monday 18 December) Cole was jailed, following a hearing at Winchester Crown Court.

The sentence follows an investigation by the force’s Operation Marmion team, which specialises in investigating non-recent sexual offences on children.

The trial heard that one of the victims contacted police in 2020 to report the offences, which took place between 1981 and 1984 when she was a girl under the age of 16.

Cole was reported to have raped and sexually abused the girl during this period in Mortimer Common and at an address in London.

The indictment stated that these offences were jointly carried out with another man - Derek Flintham, previously of St Dunstans Road, Hounslow. The trial heard that he was part of the investigation but died at the age of 82 in 2022, before any charges were made.

Officers spoke to another woman, as part of their enquiries, and re-investigated offences that she had previously reported to another force.

The woman was raped and sexually assaulted by Cole in Basingstoke during a period between 1987 and 1990, when she was a teenager.

The two girls were not known to each other.

Cole was charged and found guilty of nine out of 11 offences that he had denied at trial.

During the sentence hearing, the judge told Cole that his ‘appalling behaviour’ had ‘effectively ruined’ the lives of the two victims.

Speaking afterwards, officer in the case Detective Constable Nicky Howard, said: “I would like to thank the two women for the bravery they have shown during this investigation. Their courage has meant that Cole will be behind bars for a long time, where he deserves to be.

“We would encourage anyone who has been a victim of child sexual abuse to contact us on 101. You will be able to speak to our specialist detectives in confidence.

“We recognise that not everyone has the confidence to speak to police, but there are support services available that can help you if you are a victim of abuse.

“Anyone who has experienced abuse in childhood or is concerned about a child can contact the NSPCC helpline confidentially on 0808 800 5000 or email [email protected]. Children can contact Childline on 0800 1111.”