Man jailed for non-recent sexual offences

A Coventry man has been jailed for non-recent sexual offences against three women.

In 2022, an investigation was launched into 67-year-old Graham Cockerill of Elwy Circle, Ash Green.

Cockerill was reported to have sexually assaulted three women between the 1970s with one victim and 2016 – 2022 with another, a further victim was identified who was aged in her 40s at the time. She sadly passed away in 1995 and had never reported the offences to police

Det Con James Manders, formerly of our CATE team said:

“This case demonstrates that in certain circumstances, a victim need not necessarily even be alive for us to obtain a conviction.

“Despite 30 years having passed since her death, and having never reported the crime to the police, we worked tirelessly to gather evidence to ensure we could bring Cockerill to justice. Thankfully, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decided to progress with this case thanks to statements from living witnesses about the victim and the offender disclosing details of the crime to them.

“I’d like to thank the CPS lawyer who decided to authorise this charge and allow a jury to make up their minds about Cockerill’s guilt.

“The victims and witnesses in this case are amongst the most extraordinary people I have had the pleasure of knowing during my policing career. They showed great strength and courage throughout the process. As always, the service we provide to victims will always be at the forefront of any investigation, whether living or deceased.”