A 101-year-old man – thought to be the oldest person convicted in England and Wales – has been found guilty of historical sex offences against girls. Jurors found Ralph Clarke from Erdington, Birmingham, guilty of 21 counts of abusing the girls in the 1970s and 80s. He admitted nine charges relating to a young boy part-way through his trial at Birmingham Crown Court. The retired lorry driver is due to be sentenced on Monday. Clarke, of Holly Lane, who was born in March 1915, sat impassively as the unanimous verdicts were delivered.
At the start of Clarke’s trial, prosecutor Miranda Moore QC said the defendant was arrested after two of his victims walked into a police station in August last year.
Before the case was opened by Miss Moore, Judge Richard Bond informed the jury there would be occasions when Clarke left the hearing without permission for personal reasons.
Det Con Emma Fennon from West Midlands Police’s historical sexual offences team described the crimes as “horrific offences” and said Clarke showed no remorse. She said: “The nature of what he did to his victims has robbed them of their childhood.”
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