Man jailed for abuse of Peterborough girls after 10 year extradition battle to bring him back to the UK

David Speedie, of Greymont Hill, Johannesburg, has been sentenced after admitting to sexually assaulting two girls.

An allegation was first made in 2008, describing how Speedie abused the girls over a ten-year period, starting in the late 1970s when they lived in Peterborough.

The 75-year-old arrived in the UK last year following an extradition process with South African authorities that began in 2011, but was delayed following multiple appeals from Speedie.

On Friday (8 October) he was jailed for 10 years at Cambridge Crown Court after previously pleading guilty to 9 counts of indecent assault of a girl under 14 and six counts of gross indecency with a girl under 14.

DC Helen Keighley said: “The victims in this case were extremely brave for coming forward after suffering such horrific abuse. Speedie convinced them it was normal behaviour to ensure the abuse continued for as long as possible.

“It has been a long investigation involving many complications due to international laws and working with authorities in different countries. However, it shows no matter how far away you are or how long ago it was, we will always do everything we can to get justice”.