In 2020, the Offender Database recorded that 57-year-old Robert Hedley—of Llanymynech—avoided an immediate prison sentence after being convicted of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old schoolgirl. Hedley appeared at Shrewsbury Crown Court where a jury found him guilty of sexual assault following a trial in October. It was reported that the investigation established Hedley, the landlord of the Bradford Arms in North Road, Llanymynech, utilized his position of authority to target the child within his premises in June 2018.
The investigation established that Hedley forced himself on the victim and kissed her without her consent. The prosecution reported that the assault took place inside the pub where Hedley was a prominent local figure. Shrewsbury Crown Court heard that the victim was under the age of 16 at the time of the incident and that the assault represented a significant “breach of trust” by a business owner against a minor in a public house environment.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that although Hedley was convicted by a jury, the sentencing judge opted for a community-based disposal rather than a custodial term. The investigation established that Hedley had denied the charges throughout the trial, forcing the young victim to provide evidence. The prosecution reported that the sentence was designed to address Hedley’s behaviour through specialist intervention while imposing a significant financial penalty to cover the costs of the three-day trial.
Judge-led proceedings at Shrewsbury Crown Court concluded with Hedley being handed an 18-month community order. For his actions in Llanymynech and the “predatory” nature of the assault reported, he was ordered to complete the “Maps for Change” programme, a specialist intervention designed for sex offenders to prevent recidivism. The judge noted the gravity of the offence but mandated rehabilitation and 25 days of activity alongside a £3,000 prosecution cost order.
Status and Statutory Requirements
For the records reported in Shropshire and the Welsh border, the status of Robert Hedley as of April 10, 2026, was as follows:
- Custodial Status: COMMUNITY ORDER (18-month order imposed in 2020; requirements now concluded).
- Supervision Status: EXPIRED (Completion of Maps for Change and 25 rehabilitation activity days).
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements are active (Standard 5-year notification period for community orders of this nature, likely expiring in late 2025 or 2026 depending on the exact registration date).
- SHPO Status: Subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (Including strict bans on unsupervised contact with children and mandatory disclosure of his conviction to any future licensing authorities).
- DBS Status: Placed on the Barring List (Indefinite ban on working with children or vulnerable adults; loss of personal licence for the sale of alcohol).
- Legal Status: CONVICTED (Sexual assault of a child under 16).
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Shrewsbury Crown Court; investigated by West Mercia Police.
- Criminal Record: Assaulted a 14-year-old schoolgirl; Landlord of the Bradford Arms at the time of the offence; Denied the assault through a full jury trial.
- Origin: Llanymynech, Shropshire.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Hedley is managed as a registered sex offender within the Llanymynech area. Due to the nature of his conduct—specifically his “exploitation of a public-facing business role to facilitate an assault on a child”—his management is a priority for the West Mercia Police Public Protection Unit. Authorities state that his history as a pub landlord identifies him as an individual who occupied a position of perceived community trust, requiring statutory oversight to ensure he is permanently excluded from roles that involve proximity to families or the supervision of minors.
As a registered sex offender, the 63-year-old’s details are permanently logged on the national police database. Authorities state that the “Maps for Change” programme was a vital safeguard to address his distorted thinking. Any change of residence in Llanymynech or elsewhere, any attempt to regain a liquor licence without full disclosure, or any unauthorised proximity to children will result in immediate arrest to ensure the ongoing safety of the public from a man who demonstrated a “self-serving and predatory intent” within his own place of work.
QUESTION – Given that the offender was a “pub landlord” who targeted a child in a place of public entertainment, do you believe that “Automatic Lifetime Bans on Alcohol Licensing” should be a mandatory statutory requirement for any business owner convicted of a sexual offence?
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