A CILIAU Aeron man killed himself on the day he was due to appear at a court in Kent charged with 19 historical sex offences against young girls to avoid the “harrowing” experience of the proceedings, an inquest has concluded.

Victor Farley was due to appear before Folkestone magistrates on Monday, 9 November, charged with the offences - alleged to have happened in Tenterden and Headcorn in Kent in the ‘80s and ‘90s.

Facing three charges of gross indecency with a girl under 14, two of unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 13 and 11 of indecent assault on a girl under 14 - Mr Farley, 63, was found hanged from a tree in a field near his home on the morning of his court appearance.

An inquest in Aberystwyth last week heard that Mr Farley, a self-employed builder, was found by Jamie Thomas, the boyfriend of Farley’s daughter Ellie - both of whom lived with him.

After finding Mr Farley’s bed not slept in, and his keys, wallet and a note on the made bed, Mr Thomas worried that Mr Farley had “done something stupid” and a desperate search for him around the house began.

Mr Farley, who used to live at Morfa Farm caravan park in Llanrhystud, was charged with the offences by Kent police on 7 October last year, but family statements said he “did not talk about” the case and seemed “unworried” about it.

In a statement from Ellie Farley, the inquest heard that Mr Farley’s suicide came “out of the blue”.

“He was a bubbly character and always laughing,” his daughter said in a statement.

“I was aware of the historical sexual abuse case, but I knew it wasn’t true so we didn’t talk about it.”

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