Man sentenced to 19 years in prison after triple rape of Attleborough teenager

A man has been sentenced to 19 years in prison for raping a teenager from Attleborough three times.

Lee Begbie, 71, of Fryup in Whitby, appeared at Teesside Crown Court yesterday after being found guilty following a week-long trial.

The verdict follows a series of incidents in the city between January and October 2003, when Begbie raped a teenager three times after befriending him in a shop.

Begbie invited the child to his home under the pretext of looking at his car and then sexually abused him.

The victim reported the crimes in 2019, after which a police investigation was launched.

mpu1

Begbie was charged on May 13, 2021 with three counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child under the age of 16.

In his personal statement, the victim described the impact this had on his life: “I clearly remember feeling very numb and frightened at the time and in the years that followed. Before I spoke up, I had already planned how I was going to end my life.”

“The crimes committed against me directly led to my inability to deal with the emotions, which ultimately led to the failure of my marriage. I missed many of my own children growing up because I wasn’t there for them emotionally and couldn’t support them as much as I would have liked.”

Investigating officer Detective Sergeant Matt Hendry praised the victim for his courage in giving evidence and for his role in protecting the public from a dangerous criminal.

“This sentence goes some way to reflecting the gravity and seriousness of Begbie’s offending and the significant impact it has had on the victim and his wider family,” he said.

“I hope that this verdict will help him in his recovery and help him come to terms with what happened.”

Advice and information on reporting rape or sexual assault can be found here. Victims of sexual offences living in Norfolk can contact the Harbour Centre free of charge 24 hours a day on 01603 276381.