Telford man to appeal against child sex conviction
A Telford man jailed for 12 years for a series of child sex offences is to appeal against his conviction and sentence.
Paul Dipper's intention to take his case to the High Court was indicated when he appeared at Shrewsbury Crown Court yesterday.
His barrister Mr Robert Edwards said that his 54-year-old client was lodging an appeal following his sentence imposed last week by Judge Peter Barrie.
Dipper, of Main Road, Ketley Bank, was appearing at court yesterday facing an allegation of making threats to kill.
He had denied making a threat to psychiatric nurse Teresa Mustafa that he was going to kill Detective Constable Victoria Fisher, the officer in charge of the sex abuse investigation against the defendant, and was due to face trial.
At the hearing yesterday Mr Philip Beardwell, prosecuting, said that the crown prosecution service had decided that it was not in the public interest to seek a trial against Dipper for the threats to kill offence as a conviction was unlikely to impact on the substantial sentence already imposed on him by the court.
Last week Dipper appeared at court for sentence on the sex abuse offences which had previously been delayed for three years because the defendant had been suffering from a heart problem and depression.
He had previously been found guilty of three charges of indecency with a child between June 21, 1999, and April 1, 2003 and indecently assaulting a child between June 21, 2002, and April 1, 2003.
Passing sentence Judge Barrie condemned Dipper’s actions as “some of the most serious sexual offences” which had caused the victim “profound hurt and distress”, as well as psychological harm.
