A Stolen Childhood, A Debated Sentence: Sarah’s Lifelong Battle for Justice
For Sarah Potter, the memory is as vivid as it is horrifying. A five-year-old girl, safe in her own bed, was awakened by two teenage boys. One, her step-brother, Dennis Allen, raped her. The other, his friend Philip Hall, stood watching at the end of the bed before he, too, touched her inappropriately. This single night in the late 1980s shattered her innocence and set her on a decades-long path for justice—a path that concluded this week with a sentence that has left many questioning the system. Philip Hall, now 51, was handed a 12-month probation order for his role in the assault, a punishment dictated by sentencing rules from a bygone era.
A Sentence Frozen in Time
At Antrim Crown Court, Judge Philip Gilpin delivered a verdict that underscored a painful legal reality. Because Hall was only 14 at the time of the offence, the court was bound by the legislation of the late 1980s. “The court does not have the power to impose a custodial sentence,” Judge Gilpin stated, his options limited to a fine, a discharge, or probation. He imposed the one-year probation order as it was the only option that “offered real supervision.” Hall had pleaded guilty to indecent assault only on the day his trial was due to begin, with two other more serious charges left on the books. This outcome stands in stark contrast to the 11-year sentence handed to his accomplice, Dennis Allen, for a years-long campaign of abuse against Sarah. For Sarah, the legal technicality feels like a secondary betrayal, a stark reminder that the justice system could not fully comprehend the lifetime of pain that one night initiated.
A Lifetime of Carrying the Weight
The court heard a glimpse of Sarah’s Victim Impact Statement, a testament to a life forever altered. Judge Gilpin revealed that Sarah reports “that her innocence was stolen from her.” She now struggles with profound trust issues, the ability to form healthy relationships, and lives with the debilitating effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The assault in her one safe space—her bed—has impacted every facet of her life. In a shocking moment, Hall’s defence barrister suggested media interest in the 28-year-old case meant “it must be a slow news day,” a comment Sarah later called an attempt to “silence victims.” She bravely waived her anonymity, declaring, “I have to carry this with me for the whole of my life, why should people not know who he is and what he has done?”
Vindication, But No Peace
For Sarah, the conclusion of this legal battle brings a complex mix of emotions. While the probation order feels like an insufficient consequence for her lifelong trauma, hearing Hall admit “guilty” in a public courtroom was a pivotal moment. “It is complete vindication for me, that I was telling the truth all along and he is the liar who said it did not happen,” she stated. “It’s the first step to allowing me to draw a line under it.” Her courage in facing her abuser and challenging a system that offered minimal punishment shines a light on the enduring struggle of sexual abuse survivors. Her story is no longer a secret from the past, but a powerful call for acknowledgment and a testament to the long, heavy road to healing.