Coventry child rapist already serving life sentence given another for horrific attacks on young boy

[dutchman]

John Lees, formerly of Hillfields, had denied raping the boy, five charges of indecently assaulting him and two of gross indecency

A dangerous child rapist from Coventry who is already serving a life sentence for raping two girls has been handed a second life term for sexually abusing a young boy.

John Lees, formerly of Hillfields, had denied attempting to rape and raping the boy when he was aged between eight and ten, five charges of indecently assaulting him and two of gross indecency.

And during his trial at Warwick Crown Court Lees cruelly accused his young victim of making up the allegations in a bid to get compensation.

A jury took just an hour and 43 minutes to see through his lies and find him guilty of every charge.

Lees, aged 59, was jailed for life and ordered to serve a minimum of seven years before he can be considered for parole.

Sentencing Lees, Judge de Bertodano told him: “You don’t need me to tell you what sort of effect this has on people, because you yourself were the victim of abuse as a boy.

“He has been incredibly brave coming forward in his 20s and telling the police what happened.

“He has been cross-examined on the basis that the only reason he’s doing this was to get money.

“You only have to think, as a victim of abuse yourself, how insulting that is, because you knew perfectly well he was telling the truth.

“You went through this trial in the hope of convincing the jury you were not guilty of these offences.

“You are 59 years old now, and it may be you feel you have repaid your debt to society – but his suffering needs to be marked just as the girls’ suffering was in 2002.

“Your previous convictions for similar offences against another young boy aggravate this offence.

“You are serving a life sentence, but I have to consider whether you are a continuing danger to the public and, having considered the evidence in this case, I have no doubt whatsoever that you are.

“You have committed a series of sexual offences against a number of young children, and it is abundantly clear to me that you are likely to continue to be a danger to any child who may cross your path.

“This is the sort of offence which should be condemned by society in the strongest terms – and a life sentence is the appropriate mechanism for doing that.”

[dutchman]

Dangerous Coventry child rapist dies after stroke in prison

A dangerous child rapist from Coventry has died after suffering a stroke in prison. John Lees, formerly of Hillfields was serving a life sentence for sexually abusing a young boy but he had been found guilty of a catalogue of abuse against children.

Back in 2016, Lees, then aged 59, was jailed for life and ordered to serve a minimum of seven years before he could be considered for parole. He was found guilty of attempting to rape and raping a boy when he was aged between eight and ten, five charges of indecently assaulting him and two of gross indecency.

Earlier, in 1991 Lees had been convicted of indecent assault and gross indecency with a young girl, and also had a conviction for a sexual offence against another boy – and in 2002 he was given a life sentence at Coventry Crown Court for raping two other under-age girls.

He was serving his 2016 sentence at HMP Whatton. It was there where the 65-year-old died from a stroke in September last year.

An inquest held into his death on September 4 this year, concluded that Mr Lees died from natural causes. But the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman ordered a report into his death.