Ex-TT Racer Sentenced to 18 Years for Child Sexual Abuse

Connor Behan, a former champion motorbike racer from Newcastle-Under-Lyme (formally Northwich), has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for a series of rapes and sexual assaults against a young girl.

Behan was found guilty by a jury at Chester Crown Court last year after a week-long trial. The offences, which included rape, sexual assault, and engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, occurred over a period of three and a half years, starting when the victim was just seven years old.

The abuse came to light in October 2022 after the victim disclosed it to a teacher at her primary school. Despite denying all charges throughout the trial, Behan was found guilty by the jury.

Sentencing Behan on Friday, Judge Michael Leeming described him as having "no awareness" or "empathy" for his victim and criticized his lack of remorse, saying he continued to blame the victim. Behan received an 18-year sentence with an additional one-year extended licence, a restraining order, a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (both indefinite), and will be on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

A victim statement read in court detailed the profound psychological impact of Behan's abuse, stating that it had affected her ability to form close relationships. The court heard that Behan, who struggled with alcohol and drug addiction following his father's death, continued to deny responsibility for his actions even after the guilty verdict.