Holywell,North Wales - Falklands soldier formerly of Holywell admits historic sexual abuse

Published date: 05 July 2016 | 

Published by: Staff reporter
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A FORMER soldier has admitted a series of historic sex offences. see-http://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/163953/falklands-soldier-formerly-of-holywell-admits-historic-sexual-abuse.aspx

Thomas Wells was due to go on trial at Mold Crown Court yesterday and a jury was sworn to hear the case.

But after delays he returned to the dock and admitted 13 of the 14 offences he faced.

Wells, 56, formerly of Holywell but now of Washington, near Sunderland, was bailed pending sentence in August. He was warned to expect a significant prison sentence.

Wells admitted indecency with a boy and indecent assault offences dating back to the late 80s and early 90s.

He maintained his ‘not guilty’ plea to an offence of attempting to perform an illegal sex act on the boy in the early 1990s and that charge was allowed to remain on the file.

Prosecuting barrister Matthew Curtis said his pleas were acceptable and no trial would be needed.

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Defending barrister Gareth Bellis said that the defence would also be seeking a psychiatric report on the defendant.

“This man was a serving soldier in the Falklands,” he said. 

He was a stretcher bearer and had seen some horrific things.

There may be some fall-out from those experiences, he said, and the defendant also suffered from vascular dementia.

Wells was aware that the sentence would be marked in years but a psychiatric report may well assist with the length of sentence, he explained.

Judge Rhys Rowlands told Wells that custody was inevitable and he should expect a significant sentence on his return to court.

Wells, who the court heard had since the offences occurred been convicted of offences involving the downloading images of child sex abuse, was ordered to register with the police as a sex offender.