Wilfred Stanley Morrish’s victims – one of whom was under five when he indecently assaulted her – now suffer from symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder because of the assaults, which happened more than 20 years ago, the Royal Court heard. Morrish assaulted one girl in a secluded quarry and one of his victims told her mother about the abuse in a letter that she slid under the bathroom door. The mother did not tell the police at the time.
Detective Inspector Craig Jackson yesterday praised the victims’ ‘immense courage’ in reporting the crimes and said the police would always ‘robustly’ investigate allegations of sexual abuse, even if they were reported some years later.
The Superior Number, which convenes only for the most serious of cases, jailed Morrish and also issued him with an indefinite restraining order – believed to be the first of its kind in Jersey – barring him from contacting his victims. He was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 15 years.
Crown Advocate Matthew Maletroit said: ‘This was deeply abhorrent conduct. It was an appalling range of sexual abuse. He denied them their innocence. The level of psychological harm was severe for three of the victims and extreme in one.’
Morrish told one girl not to tell anyone about the abuse, saying: ‘This is still our secret but I know you’re enjoying it.’ Another victim said that when she said she was going to tell her mother, the defendant said: ‘Who do you think she is going to believe, me or you?’
Morrish’s crimes came to light only after one of his victims phoned the police last year to report the abuse she had suffered.
Initially during police interview Morrish claimed the allegations were ‘a load of old cobblers’ and ‘the whole b***** thing has been cooked up’.
However, he later admitted 12 counts of indecent assault, one count of procuring an act of gross indecency, one count of inciting an act of gross indecency and one count of committing an act of gross indecency.
Advocate James Bell, defending, urged the court to ‘exercise a degree of mercy’ and to have regards to Morrish’s age and poor health. He added that his client, who had undergone surgery on his back and required a further operation in the UK, should be given credit for his guilty pleas, which saved his victims from having to give evidence.
‘He openly expresses his sincere regret for the pain and suffering that he has inflicted on the victims of these offences,’ Advocate Bell said. ‘He does state that he is truly sorry for his past behaviour and the suffering he has caused.’
Deputy Bailiff Tim Le Cocq was sitting with Jurats Collette Crill, Geoffrey Grime, Robert Christensen, Elizabeth Dulake and Robert Kerley.
