Peter Richardson – known locally as Marc – was the former landlord of the Rat Trap pub on Highworth Road, and stood at the helm of the pub with his wife from the early 2000s until September 2023.
During a three-day trial at Swindon Crown Court in February of this year, jurors heard that Richardson approached the teenage girl outside the pub and put McDonald’s packaging up her top before “grabbing” her breast and holding and “squeezing” it in October 2022.
The 62-year-old also made inappropriate comments about how he “enjoyed the view” of her breasts and he would “put his hands on her hips and pull her backwards towards him”.
Speaking at the trial, the ex-pub landlord said he “barely remembered” the victim and did not tolerate sexual comments of any kind.
Former pub landlord Peter Richardson has been sentenced for sexually assaulting a teenage girl (Image: Newsquest)
In a police interview held in June 2023, he told officers: “I just know I wouldn’t have touched somebody inappropriately. It’s just not something I would do.”
Richardson left the pub just three months after being interviewed by the police and the Rat Trap pub has since been taken over by new management.
The 15-year-old victim is now 19 and is given anonymity as a sexual offence victim.
The teenager appeared in the dock during the trial to give evidence, supported by her mum, and spoke from behind a screen about the unwanted sexual attention she received from the pub landlord.
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She was reduced to tears while retelling the events.
“That was just how he always was, making inappropriate remarks,” the teenager told the court.
“He used to make a lot of comments about my boobs.
“He would ask if I was having sex and stuff like that. He asked if I had a boyfriend and said he was a very lucky guy.
“On one day, he went into his van and got some rubbish out and then he walked over and put the rubbish up my top and grabbed my boob. It lasted up to a minute.
“I was on the phone and I could hear my friend talking to me. I was quiet and then I told him [Richardson] to f*** off and go away.
“I didn’t want to be alone with him just in case anything worse was to happen.”
Although CCTV footage at the pub would have captured these incidents, Wiltshire Police admitted that the footage is only available for six weeks and no efforts were made by the police to seize the footage during this time frame.
Appearing for sentencing on Thursday, April 23, prosecution Ms Flint referred to a victim impact statement which outlined that the teenage girl has been left feeling “awkward and weary around older men” and “cautious to be alone with them”.
In mitigation, Ms Davies, defending, explained that Richardson has “greatly suffered” with his mental health following these legal proceedings and has uprooted his life from Swindon to relocate in Oaklands Camblesforth, York.
She argued that due to the passing of time since the offence, lack of relevant previous convictions and compliance with bail and court proceedings, a community order or suspended sentence should be considered, suggesting he has a “realistic prospect of rehabilitation.”
Judge Townsend acknowledged this was a “serious” offence which left the victim feeling “shaken” and even though Richardson continued to deny the offence, the judge said he would benefit from working with the probation service to access mental health support.
The judge added: “You no longer pose an imminent threat to young people, in particular girls.”
He concluded that the lengthy legal process was “punishing” for Richardson and his family and sentenced him to an 18-month community order with 30 rehabilitation activity sessions.
Although the prosecution proposed a sexual harm prevention order to restrict Richardson’s contact with children under 16, Judge Townsend decided that it was not necessary to impose the order because he will already be referred to the disclosure and barring service.
Richardson will be on the sex offender’s register for five years.
“Providing you co-operate with the probation service, that will be the end of this court case”, Judge Townsend said.
