Judge refuses to slash paedophile’s jail term

Shaun Vincent Connealy molested five children and one young adult in the Sheffield, Rotherham and Skegness areas between the late 1970s and early 1990s.

The 62-year-old, of Nelson Road, Great Yarmouth, raped some of his victims and subjected others to sickening sexual abuse.

He issued threats in a bid to keep his victims silent, telling one she would be “in big trouble” if she told anyone what happened.

Connealy was found guilty of 13 counts, including rape, attempted rape, indecent assault and indecency with a child. 

He was jailed for 27 years, with an extended licence period of one year, at Sheffield Crown Court in February.

Challenging his sentence at London’s Appeal Court, his lawyers argued it was far too tough.

Mr Justice King said a mistake had been made when Connealy was sentenced and his jail term had to be cut by a year to 26 years.

The judge, sitting with Lady Justice Hallett and Judge Adele Williams, said that was “necessary” to achieve the sentence originally intended.

But he refused a further reduction in Connealy’s sentence, he said: “This was serious sexual offending over 20 years.

“It was a campaign of sexual offending against victims who were vulnerable children.

“He had deliberately sought out his victims and had put himself in a position to be able to commit offences against them.

“We find it quite impossible to say that the sentence was manifestly excessive.”