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This is Devon -- A pensioner has been cleared of historic sexual abuse after telling a jury the allegations may have been a blackmail attempt. Grandfather Lionel Hutchings, aged 79, says there is no truth in the allegations which only came to light 30 years later. A woman who is now aged in her 40s went to the police in 2011 to tell how she was abused by Hutchings in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The complainant went to the police after sending Hutchings a letter setting out her claims and telling him he had ruined her life and his abuse had caused the break up of her home and marriage. Hutchings, of Addbrooke Avenue, Kingsteignton, denied four offences of indecent assault and was found not guilty in an hour by a jury at Exeter Crown Court. He told the jury nothing sexual had happened when he had been alone with the girl at his former home in Kennford, near Exeter. He said: "When I saw what she was claiming my initial reaction was that it was blackmail. It was a lot of lies. I felt sick. I just could not believe it. "She had never mentioned anything like this at all in more than 30 years. I thought it might be blackmail because she wanted to buy a property and she knew I owned a bungalow in Dawlish which I rented out." The woman said she told two friends at the time but then kept the secret for 30 years until the break up of her marriage led her to confront painful events in her childhood. She wrote to him and said: "I'm sending you this letter because I cannot carry this in my head any more. I want to know why you did the things you did. "I want to know why you thought you could do those horrendous things. I blame you for my marriage break down and losing my home. "I can't take it any more. There have been times when I have been so low I have thought of taking my own life." The letter ended by suggesting he should help her by 'putting a roof over my head'.
Reported by This is 4 hours ago.
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This is Devon -- A pensioner has been cleared of historic sexual abuse after telling a jury the allegations may have been a blackmail attempt. Grandfather Lionel Hutchings, aged 79, says there is no truth in the allegations which only came to light 30 years later. A woman who is now aged in her 40s went to the police in 2011 to tell how she was abused by Hutchings in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The complainant went to the police after sending Hutchings a letter setting out her claims and telling him he had ruined her life and his abuse had caused the break up of her home and marriage. Hutchings, of Addbrooke Avenue, Kingsteignton, denied four offences of indecent assault and was found not guilty in an hour by a jury at Exeter Crown Court. He told the jury nothing sexual had happened when he had been alone with the girl at his former home in Kennford, near Exeter. He said: "When I saw what she was claiming my initial reaction was that it was blackmail. It was a lot of lies. I felt sick. I just could not believe it. "She had never mentioned anything like this at all in more than 30 years. I thought it might be blackmail because she wanted to buy a property and she knew I owned a bungalow in Dawlish which I rented out." The woman said she told two friends at the time but then kept the secret for 30 years until the break up of her marriage led her to confront painful events in her childhood. She wrote to him and said: "I'm sending you this letter because I cannot carry this in my head any more. I want to know why you did the things you did. "I want to know why you thought you could do those horrendous things. I blame you for my marriage break down and losing my home. "I can't take it any more. There have been times when I have been so low I have thought of taking my own life." The letter ended by suggesting he should help her by 'putting a roof over my head'.
Reported by This is 4 hours ago.
