Confession to chaplain puts Stourbridge pervert behind bars
A guilty pervert was behind bars today after confessing his crime to a chaplain while in hospital for hip surgery.
"He asked for God's forgiveness and said he had had sex with a six year old girl," prosecutor Mr Robert Price told Wolverhampton Crown Court.
Stanley Wood expected the admission to be kept secret but the cleric told the safeguarding nurse on the ward at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital who, in turn, notified the defendant that the police would be informed.
"He thought he had spoken in confidence to the chaplain and urged the nurse not to tell anybody because of the effect on his family and friends if they found out what he had done," continued Mr Price.
Police tracked down the girl but she was too scared to talk to them and 66-year-old Wood gave a 'no comment' interview after being arrested in September 2015.
The investigation went no further until January of this year when the mother of the girl discovered a note written by the youngster following the approach from the police in which she detailed some of the experiences she had endured with Wood.
Police saw her again in March and explained how he had touched her intimately on a number of occasions after grooming her with presents. The assaults tended to happen when she was wearing her school uniform, it was said.
Her parents had no idea what had been going on but somebody else had seen the girl and man emerging from bushes on two occasions, the court heard. The child had earlier been frightened to say anything to the police in case she was taken away from her mother, explained Mr Price.
Mr Philip Vollans, defending, said: "He has been the author of his own misfortune. He did not expect his confession to the chaplain to be mentioned further."
Judge Barry Berlin read a victim impact statement made by the mother of the child in which she said the girl was 'on edge' all the time and sometimes woke up shouting 'get off me.'
The mother concluded: "Since this happened her attitude to life has changed and I am concerned she will carry what happened with her for the rest of her life."
Wood from Bornbrook Crescent, Stourbridge, who was of previous good character, pleaded guilty to three specimen charges of sexual activity with a child under 13 and was sent to prison for two years eight months.
Judge Berlin said: "The chaplain was right in reporting the matter. This was extremely serious abuse conducted over a relatively lengthy period. This sort of sickening, perverted behaviour causes lasting damage to the child victim."
