Southampton sex attacker Gordon Laxton jailed for three years

Gordon Laxton was locked up following a campaign by two women from Hampshire who wanted to ensure he was punished for what he had done to them.

It came after the Appeal Court in London took the unusual step of increasing a sentence imposed by Southampton Crown Court.

Laxton, who is blind and was brain-damaged at birth, had walked free despite admitting six sexual offences against two children committed in the 1980s.

Now he has been jailed for three years.

The victims, now both mothers, said that it was left to them to push to get the case reviewed by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and that they felt the justice system had initially let them down.

One of the victims, now 37, was seven when the offences began. She said: “It’s been an uphill struggle and a battle of the judicial system; until now they completely let us down.

“Our main aim is that nobody else suffers at his hands and that when you are brave enough to speak out these people get punished for what they have done.”

Laxton, 52, of Olive Road, Coxford, Southampton, and who worked at the Ordnance Survey pleaded guilty to six counts of indecent assault and was sentenced in June this year to a community order, with a supervision requirement, and an indefinite sexual offences prevention order.

The appeal heard how Laxton suffered “significant mental retardation”, as a result of his umbilical cord being wrapped around his neck during birth, giving him the mental age of an eight-yearold.

He is also registered blind.

The case was considered by Attorney General, Dominic Grieve QC, who referred the case to the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge, at London’s Appeal Court.

The judge upped the sentence to three years after finding that, despite Laxton’s disabilities, he had to be put behind bars because of the life-long damaging impact on his victims.

He said: “This is a vulnerable, pathetic man, destined for a lonely old age, but whatever this offender’s difficulties, he knew what he was doing was wrong. He was not so retarded as not to know that what he was doing was unacceptable.

“A prison sentence was inevitable, right and should have been imposed.”

The victims said the offences had happened over several years.

The 37-year-old told the Daily Echo the initial sentence left her disgusted.

She accused the CPS prosecution barrister of being incompetent because he had not challenged Laxton’s mental capabilities, which had left the judge with little choice in his sentence.

The other victim, now 29, added: “I’m glad he’s been punished for the crimes he committed, I don’t think any sentence is good enough.”

A CPS spokesman said: “This case was prosecuted by experienced counsel in Southampton Crown Court.

“The CPS lawyer is available to meet with the victim of any serious sexual offence to discuss concerns they may have regarding the outcome of a case, or the court process.

“Following sentence in the Crown Court, a review of this case was conducted by Ruth Bowskill, senior district crown prosecutor, with a view of referral of the case to the office of the Attorney General for the purpose of consideration of referral of the sentence to the Court of Appeal as unduly lenient.

“In considering the above, it is quite right, that consideration was given to the views and representations of those who had been affected by this case.”