A paedophile football coach who repeatedly sexually abused a 10-year-old boy in the 1980’s has been arrested after evading justice for 13 years by changing his last name and moving to Sweden.
Glenn Langrish, 74, was arrested at Heathrow Airport for sexually abusing Stephen Lewsey, now 51, in the 1980’s after employing the then 10-year-old at his lawnmower repair shop in Crawley, West Sussex.
The former amateur football coach made contact with Mr Lewsey in 1983 over short radio wave and eventually arranged to meet the child.
Langrish gave Mr Lewsey a weekend job at his shop where he then sexually abused him during his shifts and when he gave him lifts home.
The abuse finally stopped in 1989 when Langrish was jailed for unrelated child sex offences.
On his release from jail in 1994 he fled the country, moving to Sweden and changing his name to Glenn Stephens.
Mr Lewsey reported the abuse to Sussex Police in 2011 and an international search began for Langrish.
Five years later Interpol discovered he was living in Vendelso, Sweden, with a Swedish citizenship.
He was interviewed by Swedish police, but as a Swedish citizen was protected from extradition back to the United Kingdom.
In May 2023 an opportunity finally arose for his arrest, as Sussex Police were alerted that he had arrived in Poland.
He was brought back from Poland by the Metropolitan Police’s extradition team on July 5 last year, and taken into custody at Heathrow Airport the same day.
Langrish was subsequently charged with four counts of indecency with a child and four counts of indecent assault on a child, all of which he was found guilty of at Chichester Crown Court.
He was sentenced to 15 years in prison, with another three to be spent on licence, at Hove Crown Court on Friday.
Langrish was told that he must serve a minimum of nine years and eight months of his custodial sentence before he is eligible for parole.
In a victim impact statement read out in court, Mr Lewsey said: ‘Until I confided in my wife, I treated this as my “dirty little secret” something that I lived with for the last 40 years, but you have now been found guilty of the crimes that you know you committed.
‘I would never have asked my ex-wife and my dear old mum to endure the trial if I did not know what you had done to me all those years ago was so wrong, that you needed to face justice.
‘It has taken a long time to face you in court but now we have had our day and the jury have seen through your lies, I can now start to rebuild my life.’
Detective Sergeant Becki Buckley, of Sussex Police, said: ‘Glenn Langrish thought he could hide in Sweden and not have to face justice for his appalling crimes.
‘He hugely underestimated the determination of Sussex Police, our partner forces and national agencies and, just as importantly, the resolve of his brave victim.
‘I cannot commend Steve Lewsey enough for his courage in coming forward, supporting this investigation for such a long time and choosing to waive his anonymity to help other victims.
‘This investigation should send a clear message to victims of sexual offences that we will stop at nothing to get you the justice you deserve.’
Emily Foster is a globe-trotting journalist based in the UK. Her articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
