An 85-year-old man has been found guilty of sexually assaulting two girls aged 13 and 16 while working as a scuba-diving instructor at a training pool, though because of his medical condition he has avoided facing a punitive sentence.
Harold Covell was deemed unfit to stand trial in person because of head injuries said to have been sustained in a fall in 2022. A judge at Newcastle Crown Court proceeded with a “trial of the facts” rather than a full criminal trial because Covell was said to be unable to understand or participate in proceedings.
According to BBC coverage of the trial Covell had been teaching scuba diving at Ripon Spa Baths in North Yorkshire, though the dates of the offences was not specified in reports. The instructor lived at Sharow near Ripon and was of previous good character, the jury was told.
The court heard evidence that Covell had touched the thigh of the 13‑year‑old girl and made inappropriate comments. He was also said to have placed his hands on the 16‑year‑old’s thigh and asked for a hug, which the girl refused.
In a statement the younger girl said she had felt her “whole life tilt on an axis” during the encounter, and had her childhood stripped from her in those moments.
Sentence ‘might appear inadequate’
Judge Robert Spragg also noted as evidence emails sent by Covell to two other young women, in which he had expressed a desire to “seduce” one and to “make love” to the other.
The jury concluded that Covell “had done the acts complained of” in relation to the charges brought in the trial of the facts. On expert advice that no punitive sentence would be suitable because of Covell’s medical condition, the judge imposed an absolute discharge. Although no further punishment was ordered, the finding of fact remains on the record.
While Judge Spragg acknowledged that the sentence might appear inadequate to some, he expressed hope that the conviction would offer the victims a level of closure and enable them to move on. He highlighted their courage in coming forward.
Covell was at one time a director of the former charity Scuba Diving For All. The volunteer group, started by family-members, provided diving tuition for people with special needs at Ripon Spa Baths, and in 2019 won the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest honour available to charities in the UK. It ceased operating in 2022.
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