(CTN News) – The life sentence of a paedophile who sexually assaulted a child and tossed her sibling down a 100-foot cliff in an attempt to “silence him” In September 2022, Anthony Stocks attempted to murder an elementary school student in Ovingdean, close to Brighton, out of concern that he would be found to be a child abuser.
Anthony Stocks said that the youngster, who managed to survive the fall, fell down the cliff after they took him to see the vista, which was featured in the movie Quadrophenia. After finding him guilty of attempted murder and sexual offences, an Oxford Crown Court jury sentenced him to at least 20 years in prison.
According to the police, the child had done “everything to try and prevent the abuse carrying on” after confiding in her brother. Anthony Stocks, according to Judge Nigel Daly, has “ruined the lives” of the two children and is still “utterly obsessed” with the girl.
The 54-year-old, who was once from Goring in Oxfordshire, allegedly took the kid on a tour of football grounds in London before killing him in Brighton.
The judge said that the youngster fell on a bed of stones and shingle, only steps away from a concrete road that would have instantly killed him had he fallen on it. The boy’s survival after the fall on September 24 “shocked” Sussex Police’s Det Sgt. Jemma Paterson.
She related how, at the base of the 100-foot (30.5-metre) precipice, he was screaming in agony while receiving medical attention from paramedics. She replied, “His injuries were extensive.” “He was conscious and clearly in pain and those sounds will stay with me for the rest of my life.”
Several witnesses, she said, were also “traumatised” by what they had seen. Thames Valley Police learned that Anthony Stocks had sexually molested the boy’s sister for three years, while Sussex Police looked into what had occurred at Ovingdean.
In a pre-recorded interview aired during the trial, the child said that she had blurted it out to her brother: “All of it… in one big go.” Thames Valley force member Det Sgt. Rachel Jackson called the girl’s experience “very upsetting.”
The former Star Wars extra stock was described as “incredibly predatory,” and the case was “one of the worst cases of child abuse” that she and her colleagues had ever looked at.
The girl’s sibling “tried to put himself in the way” and “did everything to try and prevent the abuse from carrying on,” according to Det Sgt. Jackson. “Then, unfortunately, Mr Anthony Stocks decided to take him to the cliffs and push him off,” she said.
“He had catastrophic injuries across his body, but he has made an amazing recovery and is doing well.” Police have commended both siblings for their bravery: the boy for attempting to halt the assault, and the girl for having the guts to inform her brother about it.
He said that the conspiracy was “not a spur of the moment decision” and that he had planned his “get rid” of him plan during a visit to a Chinnor, Oxfordshire, quarry.
“You had seen the movie Quadrophenia, so you were aware of the Brighton Cliffs. The judge said, “You had looked up information about trains to Brighton online and asked questions about how far the coastline is from the cliffs in Brighton.
However, he said that while determining his sentence, he had to consider his low IQ of 54 and weak cognitive ability.
Anthony Stocks went to a special school, but he left without receiving any credits.
Martin Rutherford KC, the defendant, said that Anthony Stocks was aware that his offense was illegal. It’s more of a moot matter whether or not he has the mental faculties to grasp the scope or depth of his crime. The truth is, as the barrister said, he found it difficult to comprehend a large portion of the trial procedure.
However, Anthony Stocks was informed by Judge Daly that he was “dangerous” and still posed a “significant risk” to females and that if given the opportunity, he would conduct further violent crimes.
Source: BBC
