Man jailed for 19 years for multiple rapes

A man has been sentenced to 19 years in prison for three rapes of a teenage boy.

Lee Begbie, aged 71 and of Fryup, Whitby has been sentenced to 19 years in prison. He appeared at Teesside Crown Court on Monday 24 June 2024 after previously being found guilty following a weeklong trial.  

This sentencing follows a series of incidents which happened in Attleborough, Norfolk between January and October of 2003 when Begbie raped a teenage boy on three occasions after befriending him in a shop. Begbie invited the child to his home address under the pretence of looking at his car and proceeded to sexually assault him.  

The victim reported the offences in 2019 which prompted a police investigation. Begbie was charged on 13 May 2021 with three counts of buggery* with a child under the age of 16.

In his victim personal statement, he described how it had impacted his life, saying: “I distinctly remember feeling very numb and scared at the time and the years that followed. I got to the point before I came forward, that I had planned how I was going to end my life.

“The offences committed against me, directly led to me being unable to deal with the emotions, which ultimately led to my marriage failing. I missed a lot of my own children growing up, due to being emotionally unavailable for them and not being able to support them as much as I would want to.”

Yesterday (Monday 24 June), Begbie was sentenced to 19 years in prison.

Investigating officer, Detective Sergeant Matt Hendry said: “This sentence goes someway to reflect the gravity and seriousness of Begbie’s offending and the significant impact it has had on the victim and his wider family.

“I would like to take this opportunity to praise the victim for his bravery in giving evidence and helping protect the public from a dangerous offender. I hope that this sentence assists with his ongoing recovery and moving forward with what has happened.”

Advice and information about reporting rape or sexual assault is available here. Victims of sexual offences who live in Norfolk can contact the Harbour Centre for free, 24/7 support on 01603 276381.

 

*Where charges are brought for historic offences, the law applicable at the time of the offence is used. Hence, Begbie was charged with buggery rather than the modern equivalent charge of rape.