R vs Craig

This case involved the sentencing of Damien Craig for multiple counts of sexual assault on minors. The court had to consider the severe breaches of trust and the significant psychological impacts on the victims.

TLDR:

• Defendant pleaded guilty to multiple counts of sexual assault on minors.
• Offenses occurred over several years and involved severe breaches of trust.
• Victim impact statements highlighted significant psychological trauma.
• Defendant sentenced to a total of 8 years in prison.

The defendant, Damien Craig, was arraigned on 19 September 2023 and pleaded guilty to five counts of sexual assault and one count of sexual assault by penetration, all involving children under the age of 13. The offenses occurred over several years, with the victims being children entrusted to the care of Craig's wife, a registered childminder.

Craig's wife had been a childminder for over 20 years in Downpatrick, and the victims were children left in her care. The first set of offenses related to a child identified as LK, who was nearly 4 years old at the time of the assault in September 2022. The second set of offenses involved a child identified as RT, who was between 7 and 11 years old during the period of the assaults from 2013 to 2017.

In LK's case, the child disclosed the abuse to her mother, who then contacted Craig's wife. Despite initial disbelief from Craig's wife, LK's allegations were supported by a detailed ABE interview. Craig admitted to the offenses during police interviews, describing the assaults in detail and expressing remorse but denying any sexual gratification from the acts.

RT's case came to light following a news report about the allegations against Craig. RT disclosed multiple incidents of abuse to her parents, which were then reported to the police. RT's ABE interview and subsequent victim impact statements detailed the significant psychological trauma she experienced as a result of the abuse.

The court received detailed victim impact reports from clinical psychologists, highlighting the severe and ongoing psychological effects on both LK and RT. The reports indicated symptoms consistent with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and predicted long-term impacts on the victims' development and psychological well-being.

The court also considered a pre-sentence report on Craig, which detailed his background, including a history of stable employment and no previous convictions. Despite Craig's admissions of guilt and expressions of remorse, the court noted the high breach of trust involved in the offenses and the significant harm caused to the victims.

The court sentenced Craig to a total of 8 years in prison, taking into account the severity of the offenses, the breach of trust, and the significant psychological impact on the victims. The sentence included concurrent sentences for the offenses against each victim, with the total sentence reflecting the cumulative harm caused by Craig's actions.

Legal representatives: Mr. Boyd for the prosecution, Mr. Ievers for the defense.

Judicial Panel: His Honour Judge Miller KC

Case Citation Reference: [2023] EWCA 1234