'Incredibly violent' paedophile jailed for 28 years

A paedophile has been jailed for 28 years for abuse described by a detective as amongst "the most horrific I have ever seen".

Mark Anthony Foster, known as Tony, committed a raft of offences against a young girl in the Northwich area in Cheshire, including drugging and raping her.

The 62-year-old was convicted of 21 offences, including rape, indecent assault and gross indecency with a child after a trial at Chester Crown Court.

The victim, who was abused in the 1990s and early 2000s, reported Foster to police in August 2020.

The jury heard the attacks on her began when she was nine and had become "more violent as time progressed".

Foster, of Forster Avenue in Weaverham, will be subject to an indefinite restraining order and sexual harm prevention order, and must sign the sex offenders register for life.

Det Con Paul Beesley, who led the investigation, said he hoped the sentence brought "closure" to the victim.

“The offences which Foster cruelly subjected her to were incredibly violent and persistent, and even after this sustained grooming and abuse, he put her through the stressful process of a trial", he said.

"The offences were some of the most horrific and violent I have seen, and the victim must be credited for her bravery on reporting this abuse to the police and I am pleased she now has the justice she deserves."

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas to [email protected]