A PENSIONER charged with molesting children, raping a girl and attempting to rape another in the 1970s and 80s in Chippenham has died before the case could come to court.

Trevor Dennis, 78, formerly of Bexhill, East Sussex, had been due to appear before Swindon Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday morning to face 20 charges of assaulting two girls in Chippenham in the 1970s and 1980s.

The alleged offences included 14 counts of indecent assault, four counts of gross indecency committed against a girl under 14, rape and attempted rape.

The case had been adjourned from July 17 at the request of the Crown Prosecution Service.

On Wednesday magistrates in Court One were informed a coroner’s death certificate had been added to the case files.

Jane Flew, chairman of the bench, said: “Formally, we mark the case against Trevor Eric Abnor Dennis abated by virtue of his demise.”