• Contact us
  • About us
  • Digital edition
  • Online archive
Saturday, July 12, 2025
Cumberland and Westmorland Herald
  • News
    Councils ask for planned mayoral election to be postponed

    Councils ask for planned mayoral election to be postponed

    Leo Group owner completes epic cycling challenge for MND research

    Leo Group owner completes epic cycling challenge for MND research

    Support for Penrith Mountain Rescue Team after charity box stolen

    Support for Penrith Mountain Rescue Team after charity box stolen

    Inspiring Penrith teacher Dawn Coates retires after 26 years

    Inspiring Penrith teacher Dawn Coates retires after 26 years

    Use it or lose it: Urgent appeal for people to get on the bus

    Use it or lose it: Urgent appeal for people to get on the bus

    Penrith’s Enterprise Hub plans start to take shape

    Penrith’s Enterprise Hub plans start to take shape

    Nurturing Eden school praised by Ofsted

    Nurturing Eden school praised by Ofsted

    Inflation and the impact on savings

    Inflation and the impact on savings

    Celebrating Alston’s heritage heroes

    Celebrating Alston’s heritage heroes

  • Sport
    Success for fighting squad

    Success for fighting squad

    Penrith skipper Nicky Burns calls on team to keep winning

    Penrith skipper Nicky Burns calls on team to keep winning

    £100,000 target for new changing rooms extension

    £100,000 target for new changing rooms extension

    Medal success for Upper Eden tug-of-war team

    Medal success for Upper Eden tug-of-war team

    Eden man competes in Hyrox World Games

    Eden man competes in Hyrox World Games

    Double national triumph for Stuart Robinson

    Double national triumph for Stuart Robinson

    Patterdale’s Eden Eagles make history

    Patterdale’s Eden Eagles make history

    Penrith teen crowned British vault champion

    Penrith teen crowned British vault champion

    Penrith gymnasts represent North of England in finals

    Penrith gymnasts represent North of England in finals

  • Obituaries
  • Nostalgia
  • Online archive
  • Buy Photos
  • Buy your paper
  • North Lakes Living
No Result
View All Result
Cumberland and Westmorland Herald
  • News
    Councils ask for planned mayoral election to be postponed

    Councils ask for planned mayoral election to be postponed

    Leo Group owner completes epic cycling challenge for MND research

    Leo Group owner completes epic cycling challenge for MND research

    Support for Penrith Mountain Rescue Team after charity box stolen

    Support for Penrith Mountain Rescue Team after charity box stolen

    Inspiring Penrith teacher Dawn Coates retires after 26 years

    Inspiring Penrith teacher Dawn Coates retires after 26 years

    Use it or lose it: Urgent appeal for people to get on the bus

    Use it or lose it: Urgent appeal for people to get on the bus

    Penrith’s Enterprise Hub plans start to take shape

    Penrith’s Enterprise Hub plans start to take shape

    Nurturing Eden school praised by Ofsted

    Nurturing Eden school praised by Ofsted

    Inflation and the impact on savings

    Inflation and the impact on savings

    Celebrating Alston’s heritage heroes

    Celebrating Alston’s heritage heroes

  • Sport
    Success for fighting squad

    Success for fighting squad

    Penrith skipper Nicky Burns calls on team to keep winning

    Penrith skipper Nicky Burns calls on team to keep winning

    £100,000 target for new changing rooms extension

    £100,000 target for new changing rooms extension

    Medal success for Upper Eden tug-of-war team

    Medal success for Upper Eden tug-of-war team

    Eden man competes in Hyrox World Games

    Eden man competes in Hyrox World Games

    Double national triumph for Stuart Robinson

    Double national triumph for Stuart Robinson

    Patterdale’s Eden Eagles make history

    Patterdale’s Eden Eagles make history

    Penrith teen crowned British vault champion

    Penrith teen crowned British vault champion

    Penrith gymnasts represent North of England in finals

    Penrith gymnasts represent North of England in finals

  • Obituaries
  • Nostalgia
  • Online archive
  • Buy Photos
  • Buy your paper
  • North Lakes Living
No Result
View All Result
Cumberland and Westmorland Herald
No Result
View All Result
Home Latest

Child rapist jailed handed 22 years’ jail for harrowing campaign of sexual abuse

by CWH
18 November 2021
in Latest, News
A A
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Simon Blenkinship
Simon Blenkinship

A north Cumbria man who repeatedly raped and sexually assaulted two primary school-age girls, and molested a third, has been jailed for more than two decades.

The profound impact of 56-year-old Simon Blenkinship’s harrowing catalogue of crimes was outlined in graphic detail this afternoon as moving statements provided by his victims were read during his sentencing hearing.

“This is a case involving the serious, systematic sexual abuse of three young girls,” prosecutor Kim Whittlestone told Carlisle Crown Court of the offending by Blenkinship.

In the case of one youngster, this began “slowly at first” but progressed to him showing her pornography on his laptop. It later escalated and involved multiple rapes, emotional manipulation and humiliation.

In her impact statement, the female spoke of suffering from night terrors, insomnia, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder; and of being threatened by her abuser before she told police what had happened. “There will never be a day I do not feel his hands on me and want to claw off my own skin,” she said. “I am perpetually exhausted, living in a nightmare that will never cease.”

Blenkinship also raped and sexually assaulted a second girl, and abused a third. He denied all offending when first interviewed by police but later admitted 27 charges, including multiple rapes, sexual assault, causing a child to watch sexual activity and two counts of making indecent photographs of a child.

Judith McCullough, defending, said of Blenkinship, who sat with his head bowed in the dock as details of his crimes were outlined: “The defendant says he will never forgive himself.”

Judge Andrew Jefferies QC jailed Blenkinship for 22 years and, concluding he was a “dangerous” offender, imposed an extended eight-year licence period.

“To say you have ruined all their lives is no overstatement,” said the judge of the victims. “I hope that they can recover strength to live as happy and as normal an adulthood, compared to the childhood you stole.”

Blenkinship must serve two-thirds of his sentence in custody before being eligible for parole. He must also sign the sex offenders’ register for life.

Related Posts

Councils ask for planned mayoral election to be postponed
News

Councils ask for planned mayoral election to be postponed

11 July 2025
Leo Group owner completes epic cycling challenge for MND research
News

Leo Group owner completes epic cycling challenge for MND research

11 July 2025
Support for Penrith Mountain Rescue Team after charity box stolen
News

Support for Penrith Mountain Rescue Team after charity box stolen

11 July 2025
Inspiring Penrith teacher Dawn Coates retires after 26 years
News

Inspiring Penrith teacher Dawn Coates retires after 26 years

11 July 2025
Use it or lose it: Urgent appeal for people to get on the bus
News

Use it or lose it: Urgent appeal for people to get on the bus

11 July 2025
Penrith’s Enterprise Hub plans start to take shape
Latest

Penrith’s Enterprise Hub plans start to take shape

11 July 2025
No Result
View All Result

Stay connected

Facebook Twitter Instagram

Most popular

Success for fighting squad

Success for fighting squad

11 July 2025
Lake District mountain rescue volunteers called for missing man searching for lost phone

Lake District mountain rescue volunteers called for missing man searching for lost phone

7 July 2025
Inflation and the impact on savings

Inflation and the impact on savings

11 July 2025
Celebrating Alston’s heritage heroes

Celebrating Alston’s heritage heroes

11 July 2025
Councils ask for planned mayoral election to be postponed

Councils ask for planned mayoral election to be postponed

11 July 2025
Nurturing Eden school praised by Ofsted

Nurturing Eden school praised by Ofsted

11 July 2025
Cumberland and Westmorland Herald Logo

33 Middlegate
Penrith
Cumbria
CA11 7SY

Phone: 01768 862313
Email: news@cwherald.com

Registered in England as Barrnon Media Limited. No: 12475190
VAT registration number: 343486488

Explore

  • News
  • Sport
  • Farming
  • Property
  • Obituaries
  • Nostalgia
  • Your view

Useful links

  • Contact us
  • Photosales
  • Online archive
  • Buy your paper
  • Digital edition
  • North Lakes Living
  • Advertise
  • About us

Follow us on

© Barrnon Media Limited 2025

Terms & Conditions / Privacy Policy / Cookie Policy

This website and its associated newspaper are members of the Independent Press Standards Organisation
Review Your Cart
0
Discount
Add Coupon Code
Subtotal
Total Installment Payments
Bundle Discount
Checkout

 
0
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Obituaries
  • Nostalgia
  • Online archive
  • more
    • North Lakes Living
    • Buy Photos
    • Buy your paper
    • About us
    • Contact us

© 2020 Cumberland & Westmorland Herald