Man ‘threw 10 year old boy off 100ft cliff after he tried to stop him raping his sister’

Anthony Stocks is accused of throwing a young boy off a cliff near Brighton (HNP Picture Desk/Hyde News & Pictures Ltd)

A terrified 10-year-old boy was thrown over a 100ft cliff and incredibly survived the fall after trying to stop a man who was raping his sister, a jury heard.

Anthony Stocks, 54, is accused of taking the boy to a clifftop in Brighton, East Sussex and throwing him over the edge after the child had tried to stop him from raping his underage sister. He denies all charges.

Oxford Crown Court heard the incident unfolded in front of the eyes of a witness who was walking at the bottom of the towering white chalk cliffs when he heard a “shriek” and saw “a small shape fall as if thrown from the cliff.”

Stocks, described in court as manipulative and selfish by prosecution, stood before the jury accused of rape of a girl aged under 13 years and of attempted murder of the 10-year-old boy - charges he denies.

Prosecutor Zoe Johnson, opening the case, told the jury: “The defendant forced a girl under 13 to have sexual contact with him, knowing it was wrong.

“The boy had started to try to intervene. Unbeknown to the boy’s mother, the defendant then took him to Brighton and in particular, to the cliffs.

“That afternoon, the boy fell 100 feet from the cliff edge onto the concrete underwalk below.

brighton, east sussex, courts, man ‘threw 10 year old boy off 100ft cliff after he tried to stop him raping his sister’
Anthony Stocks is currently on trial at Oxford Crown Court (Steve Parsons/PA) (PA Archive)

“Miraculously, he did not die, but was very seriously injured and had to be airlifted to hospital in London. Initially, it was believed that what had happened to him was a dreadful accident - but investigations revealed a different and much darker picture.”

The prosecutor told the jury that Stocks deliberately pushed the boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, off the edge of the cliff with the intention of killing him.

“The defendant attempted to murder him by pushing him off the cliff,” she explained to the jury. “The defendant may have instantly regretted what he had done - but at the moment he pushed the victim, it was the climax of a plan to get the boy out of the way so he could no longer interfere.”

She added that the attempted murder was “planned” as Stocks had previously taken the boy to a quarry in Oxfordshire and “contemplated” pushing the boy off the cliff, before changing his mind.

The twice-married defendant, from Goring-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, took the boy on a train from London and arrived in Brighton on the afternoon of the alleged offence, which took place in the early 2020s.

An eye-witness was walking with a friend towards the cliff stairwell when he saw the boy and the defendant walking on the grass verge and heading towards the top of the cliffs.

“The boy had his hands out as if he was balancing; he seemed to be having fun,” said the prosecutor. “The defendant was walking behind him and was matching his pace.”

The jury heard that Mr Boulding and his friend made their way back to the undercliff and noticed a crowd of people. When they got closer, they realised they were surrounding the child who was “clearly in a bad state” - but still alive.

brighton, east sussex, courts, man ‘threw 10 year old boy off 100ft cliff after he tried to stop him raping his sister’
Stocks and the boy took a train from London to Brighton and took a taxi from the marina (Getty/iStock)

The prosecutor added that Stocks did not run away from the scene but had instead joined the various members of the public that came to the child’s aid, the jury heard.

“The defendant spoke to a number of people at the scene, civilians and members of the emergency services.” Jurors heard he was not consistent in his account of what had happened and rolled a cigarette and looked at his phone.

The court heard the child’s injuries were very serious, including several deep lacerations to his scalp, abrasions to his chest, multiple bruises, multiple fractures to his left arm, and deformity to his left shoulder.

He was sedated, his arm placed into a splint and he was airlifted by helicopter to St George’s Hospital in Tooting, London where he had to be resuscitated before he was placed in a medical coma.

Because of the “extremely high impact trauma” the boy suffered, he does not have any memory of the fall itself, the jury heard.

The defendant, who is originally from Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, was first arrested shortly after the fall on suspicion of child neglect and causing or allowing the serious injury of a child.

He told the police that he had asked the boy if he wanted to go to the seaside, before taking him to the top of the cliffs near the Brighton Marina.

The defendant said he sat on a bench and smoked a cigarette while the boy stood by the edge of the cliffs. The prosecutor continued: “Mr Stocks had his head down and suddenly, the boy was gone. The defendant thought he was hiding. He ran and found him at the bottom of the cliff.”

Stocks was arrested again on May 12 last year on suspicion of sexual activity with a child under 13 and rape of a child under 13.

At the beginning of the police interview his solicitor read out a prepared statement on behalf of the defendant in which he stated: “I’m not sexually attracted to children and have not tried to have or instigated sexual activity with children.”

Thereafter, he refused to answer the officers’ questions. Stocks was re-arrested on November 23, 2023 on suspicion of attempted murder.

The trial is due to resume.

OTHER NEWS

33 minutes ago

Jaylen Brown's Juice Foundation holds sweepstakes for tickets to Game 5

36 minutes ago

Trump denies Milwaukee ‘horrible’ city comment: ‘Democrats are making up stories’

38 minutes ago

Trump Confuses Doctor's Name While Challenging Biden to Cognitive Test

38 minutes ago

Why these strong ASX ETFs could be top long term picks

38 minutes ago

Cameron insists Tories are ‘fizzing with ideas’

38 minutes ago

Fastest goal in Euros history: Albania’s Nedim Bajrami breaks all-time record for quickest opening goal in UEFA European Championship match

38 minutes ago

Why this photo of a mobile speed camera operator on a lawn has sparked outrage

45 minutes ago

Investors Fear Long Stretch of Calm in Markets Can’t Last

45 minutes ago

Actress Patricia Heaton: It's up to Christians to do something about antisemitism

45 minutes ago

Lessons Learned from Kings' Championship 10th Anniversary

45 minutes ago

McDavid, Oilers avoid sweep, thump Panthers 8-1 in Game 4 of Stanley Cup final

45 minutes ago

'Custody For 90 Days Will Ruin Lives': NCP (SP) Leader Jitendra Awhad On New Criminal Laws

45 minutes ago

Indian Documentaries Ride Global Wave as Local Funding and Distribution Concerns Remain

45 minutes ago

Jarrett Stidham may be current leader in Denver Broncos' QB race

45 minutes ago

Francoise Hardy, French singer and 60s pop icon, dies aged 80

45 minutes ago

Dodgers face injury attrition as ace leaves with triceps tightness

45 minutes ago

Steelers GM Omar Khan discusses team's relationship with RB Najee Harris

45 minutes ago

Struggling Hailie Deegan may not be ready for bright lights of NASCAR

48 minutes ago

Chinese premier promises more pandas and urges Australia to put aside differences

49 minutes ago

Hajj 2024: Saudi Arabia implements advanced cooling techniques in holy sites amid scorching heat

49 minutes ago

Italy 2-1 Albania: Player ratings as holders begin Euro 2024 with comeback victory

49 minutes ago

Toni Kroos' lack of arrogance and calmness hailed after 'really powerful' team talk

49 minutes ago

Government: Labour’s manifesto contains tax rises, not cuts

49 minutes ago

AFL kiss between TV host and footy legend sparks furore: 'It is a first'

49 minutes ago

Video: Kim Kardashian shows off her curves in a fitted outfit as daughter North West sports custom pajamas while celebrating her 11th birthday in NYC

49 minutes ago

Video: Pregnant Hailey Bieber cradles her baby bump in a gray crop top as she celebrates '2 years of Rhode' skincare

58 minutes ago

Top 5 Animal Frights

58 minutes ago

Montenegro, Millwall goalkeeper Matija Sarkic dies at age 26

58 minutes ago

Derelict Enniscorthy farmhouse with 2.5 acres of land on market for €285,000

58 minutes ago

John Stones issues Euro 2024 rallying cry after overcoming double scare in major boost for England

58 minutes ago

'Everyone gives us no chance', says Poland boss Probierz

58 minutes ago

The Property Brothers' Biggest Advice For First-Time Homebuyers

59 minutes ago

Pilgrims commence the final rites of Hajj as Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha

59 minutes ago

American comedy legend Jerry Seinfeld is all smiles as he greets fans while exploring Perth ahead of Australian stand-up comedy tour

1 hour ago

No Messi, no problem! Inter Miami have to cope without absent star and have two men sent off... but STILL manage to score a last-minute winner to beat MLS rivals Philadelphia Union

1 hour ago

Murdered mom-of-five's boyfriend breaks his silence after ILLEGAL migrant was finally charged with raping and killing her - as cops reveal stunning breakthrough on her birthday and offer stern message to Joe Biden

1 hour ago

Serial celeb harasser 'Crackhead Barney' calls Quentin Tarantino a 'Zionist piece of s***' after troll previously screamed at Alec Baldwin

1 hour ago

Madonna, 65, tries to keep a low-profile in NYC in all-black outfit after her lawyers SLAMMED concert delay lawsuit as a 'harassment campaign' from fans

1 hour ago

Bryson DeChambeau takes control of US Open with glorious 67 as Rory McIlroy rues late bogeys

1 hour ago

Kariega cemeteries severely damaged by floods