A criminal case against a 76-year-old Ryde man accused of a string of historic child sex offences, some dating back 48 years, failed to make it to court as the defendant died ahead of his appearance.
Ian Dell, of Corbett Road, was due to appear before the Isle of Wight Magistrates Court last Tuesday (22nd February) charged with no less than 6 offences including unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl, indecent assault of a girl and indecent assault of a boy, as well as 1 charge of taking an indecent photograph of a child.
The alleged offences dated between 1974 and 1984, with the youngest victim being under the age of 3.
It was expected that the case would be sent to the Isle of Wight Crown Court, but Mr Dell’s death means the case has been closed.
Silly question, what/how did he die ?
Hopefully hanging
lets hope it was horribly
shame this doesn’t happen to all sex offenders!
I see people have leapt to the conclusion that the chap was guilty, even without any legal trial. Yes, there must have been evidence of some sort to bring the case to trial, but I have to say that I thought it was ‘innocent until proven guilty’ in UK Law.
I fully appreciate the chap may well have been guilty, but some of the comments are rather ‘give him a fair trial and then hang him’!
Let’s just hope the victims feel some justice…. Didnt get Jimmy either
the case should not be closed – the proceedings should still continue to ascertain whether or not he was actually guilty and then a verdict reached and compensation to the victims offered, if appropriate. He should not be able to escape his place in history as a convicted sex offender, if that was the case, just because he has died.