In 2026, the Offender Database reported that Michael Hale, then 35, of Hindley Crescent, Barnton, Cheshire, was sentenced at Chester Crown Court for a series of vile and violent historical sexual crimes. Hale, an ex-soldier, was convicted of the horrific attempted rape of a nine-year-old girl in her own bed. The court heard that Michael Hale was approximately 22 years old when he targeted the vulnerable child, also forcing her to perform a sickening sex act on him. The victim felt bound by his demands for silence for more than a decade before finding the courage to come forward.
The investigation also uncovered further depraved behaviour from Hale’s youth. When he was just 16, Michael Hale sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl, inciting her to touch his genitals on at least five separate occasions. These horrendous offences were only disclosed when the second victim attended counselling more than ten years later. During the trial, Hale initially maintained a deplorable plea of not guilty to all charges, only changing his plea regarding the older victim on the morning of his trial.
A jury found Michael Hale guilty of the serious charges of attempted rape and causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity. Prosecuting counsel James Coutts read disturbing victim impact statements detailing the profound and “beyond repair” emotional damage caused by the abuse. Judge Simon Berkson remarked that the attempted rape was “as close to the full offence… as it could be,” noting that Hale had until now lived as a man of previous good character.
As a result of his convictions for these vile sexual crimes, Michael Hale was sentenced on January 8, 2026, to eight years in prison with an extended one-year licence period. He was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life and is indefinitely banned from working with children. Hale is managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) by Cheshire Constabulary, remaining under intensive supervision for the duration of his life. Any attempt to contact his victims or any breach of his strict registration requirements in Barnton or elsewhere will result in his immediate arrest and prosecution.
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