Garry Roy Springall to be sentenced for aggravated indecent assault

A fourth child victim has spoken of their trauma at the hands of a convicted paedophile – who claims he can’t remember abusing her.

Another victim has spoken of their trauma at the hands of a serial convicted paedophile from Reynella.

Already sentenced to 15 years’ prison for sexually abusing three young girls, Garry Roy Springall, 71, has pleaded guilty to indecently assaulting a fourth child.

Springall, already in the middle of sexually abusing another girl, told his fourth victim not to tell police “or he would go to jail”.

And when confronted about the abuse, the court heard, Springall’s chief concern was whether or not he would be “able to go on a cruise ship holiday”.

The girl’s family delivered teary witness impact statements to the Adelaide District Court describing the effect Springall’s actions had on them.

Convicted paedophile Garry Roy Springall. Picture: Supplied

“I want this sentence to send a message to other offenders like him who think they can get away with their crime due to their victims being so young and scared,” the fourth child’s mother told Judge Ian Press.

“I frequently find my mind drifting to try and comprehend how another human can live with themselves after such disgraceful actions, and show no remorse.

“No amount of imprisonment will ever take away what (Springall) has done to (my daughter).”

The girl herself told the court Springall’s abuse had changed her outlook on life.

“There’s not a lot of people I can trust ... and I see more of a dark side to the world,” she said.

“I feel lots of anger and embarrassment.”

The court heard Springall had sexually abused two other girls before the indecent assault, and when the indecent assault he targeted a third victim.

When Springall no longer had access to the first two victims, the court heard, “he just turned to … the next victim who was available to him”.

The court heard Springall could not remember if he had indecently assaulted the girl.

Elizabeth Mansfield, for Springall, told the court her client had pleaded guilty to the indecent assault as a “plea of convenience”, stating he still denied the offence.

“He does deny the current offending and indeed say that had it occurred he would have admitted it along with the far more serious offending (the three other sexual abuses),” she said.

“As a matter of law he does not deny it, as a matter of fact he does.

“It’s a lack of recollection is how he’s expressed it.”

Judge Press questioned Ms Mansfield’s submission, telling the court, “as a matter of fact he doesn’t deny it either, isn’t he just saying he doesn’t recall?”

“There’s a big difference between denying it and saying ‘I don’t recall it’.”

Judge Press will sentence Springall in November.