Jailed: Stourbridge man who raped three girls gets 18 years

Nicholas Gallantree, 25, collected a gang of vulnerable young people in Telford, Shropshire, grooming them and supplying them with drugs and alcohol.

At Shrewsbury Crown Court, Judge Jim Tindal praised Gallantree’s four victims saying they were some of the bravest people he had ever met.

“What you have done in coming forward is something that you should be proud of for the rest of your lives,” he told them.

He said he viewed Gallentree as dangerous to vulnerable young women and passed an extended sentence of 18 years with an extension period of four years.

“You will serve at least two thirds of your sentence, 12 years, before being eligible to go before a parole board,” Judge Tindall said.

He said the extended sentence meant if Gallantree was still deemed to pose a risk the sentence could run for 22 years.

His victims, in court to hear the sentence, broke down as it was passed.

Gallantree had denied the four charges but was found guilty after two separate trials.

Miss Siobhan Collins, prosecuting, said the victims were all vulnerable girls in their teens.

“He took charge of them, manipulating them, giving them drugs and controlling them because he scared them,” she said.

One was raped after Gallantree, of Fletcher Street, Lye, near Stourbridge, told her she owed him for the cannabis he had given her.

Two others were raped on the night of a camping expedition when he plied a group of young people with alcohol and drugs.

In victim impact statements the teenagers told of the effect his crimes had had.

One, suffering sleepless nights and self harming, wrote: “This will haunt me for the rest of my life.”

Another said: “He stole my teenage years and blamed it on me.”

Miss Collins said a third victim who had gone from being bright and bubbly to feeling dirty and used had to have medication for anxiety and was said to be suffering from post traumatic stress.

The fourth said the offence had made her anxious and affected her education.

The court heard that Gallantree had previous convictions for violence and carrying offensive weapons.

His barrister, Charles Crinion, said Gallantree had been abused as a child, with a psychiatric report highlighting mental health issues and a borderline personality disorder.

Judge Tindal told Gallantree, who appeared in court via a video link from prison, that he had gathered a group of teenagers around him, supplied them with drugs and intimidated them.

“You thought that you could do what you wanted with them,” he said.

“You may have gone on to rape the fourth girl if you had not been interrupted.

“You put each of the girls through the ordeal of giving evidence exercising more power over them.”

Investigating officer DC Kulvinder Dhatt, from the Shropshire Child Sexual Exploitation Team at West Mercia Police, said: "Nicholas Gallentree groomed, intimidated and abused his victims, telling them not to trust people in authority and that they would not be believed.

"All four victims suffered abhorrent abuse and were incredibly brave in coming forward to tell police what had happened to them, I hope the sentence handed to him allows them to move on with their lives.

"Gallentree originally denied the charges against him and as such was brought to trial as a result of a lengthy and complex investigation and the support of the four girls involved.

"This dangerous sexual offender is now behind bars where he can cause no further harm, thanks in large part to the victims' trust and confidence in our investigation. I'd urge anyone who has been affected by sexual abuse of any kind to contact police."