July 2013

Child rapist jailed for 14 years

An ex soldier from Worksop has been jailed for 14 years for raping two young children.

July 2013

Rapist jailed for attacks on teens

A man convicted of raping two teenage girls has been jailed for a total of 13 years by a judge who called his crimes “hideous” and “monstrous”.

Sean Ralph was also told that he had subjected them to a gross attack on their character, accusing them of having no qualms about telling outrageous lies against an innocent man.

Sean Ralph, 22 and from Knott End in Poulton, raped a 15-year-old girl in 2010. He then set upon another girl, aged 16, in 2011. He denied two charges of rape, but had been convicted following a trial.

He had been cleared of a further charge of raping one of the girls. Preston Crown Court heard that in a victim personal statement, one of the victims described how what happened had affected her studies.

Fraser Livesey, defending, said Ralph continued to deny the offences.

He said: “It is his first custodial experience.

“He intends to make something of that time, to use the time sensibly in custody.”

The barrister also said that at the time, Ralph had been indulging in childish behaviour and binge drinking.

“The offences were born out of boorishness, rather than malevolence”, added Mr Livesey.

Ralph was given six and a half years prison on each of the two counts of rape, to run consecutively.

Judge Christopher Cornwall said that the two females had been subjected to a gross attack upon their character, with them being accused of having no qualms about telling the most outrageous lies against an innocent man.

He told him: “I am left with the overwhelming impression that your attitude to both these girls was really one of utter contempt.

“You treated each as an object, or a vehicle by which you could obtain sexual satisfaction that you sought.

“I do find you pose a significant risk of causing serious harm to other women by reason of committing serious sexual offences.”

Ralph will be on the sex offenders register for life.

July 2013

Alloa teenager Nicholas Beedie sentenced over rape of boys

A teenager who raped two boys in the grounds of a primary school has been ordered to be detained in a young offenders institution for three years.

Nicholas Beedie, 16, of Alloa, was 15 when he sexually assaulted the victims at a house and the school in Clackmannanshire.

Judge Lord Bannatyne told him he noted his early guilty plea.

However, he said he would be failing in his public duty if he imposed any other sentence than custody.

Beedie admitted raping the boys – aged nine and seven – on two occasions between June and October last year, when he appeared at the High Court in Edinburgh last month.

Sentence was deferred at the time in order for the court to obtain reports about Beedie’s character.

Defence advocate Lorenzo Alonzi said his client had told the social worker who wrote the report that he was sorry for the attacks.

Urging Lord Bannatyne to impose a non-custodial sentence he added: “He has expressed remorse for his conduct.

“He is a person who presents himself as being quite immature for his age.”

Lord Bannatyne said the sentence reflected the fact that Beedie pleaded guilty to the offences at the earliest opportunity.

He added: “I have listened to everything that has been said on your behalf.

“I also note that you pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and saved your victims the ordeal of having to give evidence in court.

“However, I also note the concerns in the report about the danger you pose to public safety and in particular the danger you pose to children.

“With this in mind, I would be entirely failing in my public duty if I were to impose a sentence other than custody.”

July 2013

School IT technician had 7,000 indecent pictures of children

AN IT technician at Hessle High School has been convicted of possessing thousands of indecent images of children and photos of girls in school uniforms.

Peter Hoodless, 33, claimed his computer had been hacked into by a paedophile when police discovered the catalogue of images on his home computer.

However, a jury at Hull Crown Court took just 15 minutes to convict him of possessing 7,300 depraved images of girls as young as six and another 7,000 of young girls in their school uniforms.

He was caught following an international investigation into paedophile rings by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) based in London.

Hoodless was suspended by Hessle High as soon as he was arrested and has now lost his job as he faces the prospect of a prison sentence.

Recorder Tahir Khan QC has warned him he faces jail and has ordered reports to assess his dangerousness.

He told Hoodless: “I feel I will be assisted by a presentence report not because I have in mind an alternative to custody but just to know more about you.

“Although you have not been in trouble with the police before, I still have to consider the issue as to whether you represent any sort of danger.

“It is almost certain you will go to prison for a significant amount of time.”

For seven years, Hoodless searched and downloaded images of girls as young as six.

He had been to the University of Lincoln, based in Hull, to study computer game design before getting a job at Hessle High as an IT technician in June 2011.

Hoodless was finally brought to justice after specialist detectives caught him using a paedophile website hunting for images of girls.

Humberside Police raided his home in Thanet Road, east Hull, and seized his computer, CDs and memory discs containing disturbing images.

They discovered 7,300 indecent images of children, some at the worst level of seriousness.

He was also convicted of possessing two extreme images involving adults.

Detectives also recovered 99 indecent movies of children.

Hoodless claimed he had been on a chatroom to ask for help from other computer experts and claimed he was befriended by a mystery man called Mike.

He claimed Mike sent him software to fix his computer then hacked his machine and placed child porn on it.

The jury saw through his lies and took only minutes to convict him unanimously of 12 counts of possessing indecent images of children.

Sarah Young, executive headteacher at Hessle High School, said Hoodless was suspended immediately, as soon as Humberside Police contacted the academy.

Hoodless, who was on a probationary contract, was subsequently dismissed and never returned to the school.

Mrs Young insisted there was no evidence that any pupils had been at risk.

She said: “We have been working with the East Riding Safeguarding Children’s Board and assisting Humberside Police with their enquiries regarding charges against Mr Hoodless.

“I would like to reassure parents and the local community that at no point has there been any evidence that any members of the school community have been at risk.

“On the day of the arrest, the police notified us of their concerns and the trustees immediately took the decision to terminate his employment, assisted by the East Riding Safeguarding Children’s Board throughout the process.

“Mr Hoodless has never returned to the school.”

Mrs Young said Hoodless had passed all checks under the academy’s robust safeguarding procedures on appointment.

No concerns of any kind were highlighted on enhanced Criminal Records Bureau checks carried out before he was employed.

She said: “As a probationary member of staff, with a very short employment time, there was limited lone-working for this non-classroom based member of support staff.

“At all times the safety of the learners within our school has been and remains our highest priority.”

Hoodless is due to be sentenced next month.

July 2013

Car thefts pensioner and paedophile avoids jail

A THIEVING pensioner who raked in thousands of pounds plundering vehicles at city centre car parks can today be unmasked as child rapist Andrew Yeaman.

HMA v JAMES SMITH

At the High Court in Aberdeen Lord Pentland sentenced James Smith to 10 years imprisonment after he pled guilty to sexual abuse and rape.

On sentencing Lord Pentland made the following statement in court:

“James Smith, you pled guilty at a preliminary hearing to charges of repeatedly raping two children when they were each aged between 13 and 16 years.  The charges cover periods of time between January 1994 and November 1997 in the case of your first victim and between May 1999 and May 2003 in the case of your second victim.

The agreed narrative of facts makes it clear that the rapes occurred frequently during those periods of time.  These girls were vulnerable children with difficult and unhappy backgrounds. The victim impact information provided to the court makes it clear that your victims have suffered devastating long-term effects as a result of your prolonged abuse of them. 

I have taken account of all that has been said on your behalf today and of the information contained in the Criminal Justice Social Work Report.

These offences involved an utterly deplorable and sustained breach of trust on your part.  In order to reflect the gravity of your crimes and society’s abhorrence of the sexual abuse of children, I consider it necessary that a substantial period of imprisonment should be imposed on you. Had you not pled guilty at the preliminary hearing I would have sentenced you to 13 years imprisonment.  I am required by law to consider what discount should be extended to you because of your early plea.  I accept that this has had some utilitarian value; your victims have not had to give evidence and a trial has been avoided. In the exercise of the discretion conferred on me, I shall reduce your sentence to one of 10 years imprisonment backdated to 1 May 2013.  This is a cumulo sentence imposed in respect of charges 4 and 9 on the Indictment.

I have already made the appropriate orders under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 and the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007.

March 2011

Prison for Methil indecent assault pair

William Williamson and Stuart Hughes were jailed for six years each

Two men from Fife who subjected a woman to an indecent assault in her home in front of and caused two boys not only to observe, but to participate in certain parts of the assault have each been jailed for six years.

Stuart Hughes, 34, and William Williamson, 26, had denied the attack at a flat in Methil on 15 January 2010.

The woman was tied up and subjected to a sustained indecent assault, with the children made to join in at certain parts of the attack.

The pair had denied the offences at the High Court in Edinburgh.

Sentencing them, judge Lord Woolman said: “You caused the two boys not only to observe but to participate in certain parts of the assault.”

He said that the victim was left “traumatised” by what happened and that the humiliation inflicted on her had a major impact of her life, with the woman becoming depressed, losing confidence, leaving her home and taking time off work.

Lord Woolman pointed out the pair had been assessed as posing a high risk of reoffending and ordered that they be supervised for a further two years.

They were also placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

The pair, both from Methil, had denied indecently assaulting the woman and using indecent behaviour towards two boys, aged six and 10, by attacking her in their presence and encouraging and causing them to take part.

But a jury at the High Court in Edinburgh unanimously found them guilty of committing the offences. The woman said she was at home with her son after finishing work when Williamson and Hughes arrived with another woman.

“They had been drinking. They brought drink with them, Buckfast and vodka. They were fine when they first came to the house,” she said. But she said Williamson later became “really drunk” and Hughes was also drunk. They then attacked her.

Another man and woman arrived at her flat and some of her restraints were removed, with her attackers later leaving her home. The woman later spoke to her mother about her ordeal and was taken to the police.

HMA v STUART HUGHES & WILLIAM JOHN WILLIAMSON

Today at Edinburgh High Court Lord Woolman imposed extended sentences of eight years on Stuart Hughes and William Williamson after they were found guilty of sexual assault. The sentences consist of a custodial period of six years followed by an extension period of two years.

On sentencing Lord Woolman made the following statement in court:

“You have both been convicted of two serious sexual offences. The jury, having heard all the evidence, found you unanimously guilty after trial. I propose to say only a limited amount about the offences. The charges speak for themselves.

I begin by considering the gravity of your conduct. There are several factors to take into account:

 i. You tied up the complainer on charge 1 before committing a sustained indecent assault upon her.
 ii. The assault took place in her own home in the presence of two young children, one of whom was her son. They are the complainers on charge 2.
 iii. You caused the two boys not only to observe, but to participate in certain parts of the assault. 
 iv. Other adults were also present and observed her plight
 v. You caused a video to be taken of the incident on a mobile phone, although I understand that was deleted.

The complainer on charge 1 was traumatized by what happened. The humiliation visited upon her has had a major impact on her life. She has become depressed, lost confidence, left her home and taken time off work. It is hard to calculate what harm you have caused to the two boys.

I take into account the terms of the social enquiry reports and everything said in mitigation on your behalf. In particular, I note that both of you come before the court with limited records and no prior convictions for sexual offences.

You have, however, each been assessed as presenting a high risk of re-offending. In those circumstances, I shall impose an extended sentence for the protection of the public. I see no reason to differentiate between you in terms of sentence. Because they both arose out of the same incident, I shall impose one cumulo sentence to cover both crimes.

You will each go to prison for a period of 6 years, with an extension period of two years. Stuart Hughes, your sentence will be backdated to 9 February 2011. William Williamson, your sentence will be backdated to 16 February 2011.

On the last occasion I placed you on the Sex Offenders’ Register. You will be subject to the notification requirements indefinitely. I propose to refer your cases to the Scottish Ministers in terms of section 10 (4) of the Protection of Children (Scotland) Act 2003”.

HMA v DEAN JAMES MCKINNEY

At the High Court in Aberdeen Lord Doherty sentenced Dean McKinney to five years in prison after he was found guilty of rape.

On sentencing Lord Doherty made the following statement in court:

 “You have been convicted of the rape of a 15 year old girl. You took advantage of her while she was asleep and under the influence of alcohol. You persisted for a short period after she woke up despite her telling you to stop. You ejaculated. You were not wearing a condom at the time.

You have two previous convictions for assault at summary level, one of which was on a child. You have not previously served a custodial sentence.

You were aged 18 at the time of the offence. I have regard to that. Had you been older I would have dealt with the case even more severely than I propose to.

I take account of all that has been said on your behalf, but only a substantial custodial sentence would serve to mark the gravity of the crime. I sentence you to detention for a period of 5 years. That period will run from 27 July 2012.

You were given notice on 27 July 2012 of the notification requirements which you must comply with under Part 2 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. Those requirements have applied to you since that date and shall continue to apply to you indefinitely.”

Beecholme was a children’s home in Fir Tree Road, Banstead, Surrey. It was founded in 1879 as a Residential School for poor children from the slums of Kensington and Chelsea and run under a Village system. The houses were run by ‘house parents’. There was a school, chapel, playing fields, etc. The regime was tough, corporal punishment was rife and frequent. Sexual abuse against the children has also been alleged

Later, children came from other parts of London and the London County Council took over responsibility, followed by Wandsworth Borough Council. In 1974 the school was closed and the property sold for development as the High Beeches Estate. The site was demolished in 1975.

Case 1: Personal story of a survivor of abuse at Beecholme

My name is James Reeves. I was born in 1946. I was in a children’s home called Beecholme, in Banstead, Surrey. I was in a house in the children’s home called Jasmine. I think I was 7 years old – had spent younger years in foster care. I can remember their names – the Porters. My foster dad wasn’t involved in abuse that I remember it’s the only thing I remember about foster carers except on one birthday my foster dad bought me a brown 3 wheel tricycle. I can remember standing on the kitchen table just a cloth nappy on being abused by women and grown up children, being locked in some cupboard for hours every day that’s all I can remember from foster care.

My next memory is Beecholme, Jasmine house. I was taken there by a woman who handed me over to the House Mistress of Jasmine House. That woman who took me to Jasmine House was my mother. The next time we would meet was when I was 12. I was shown into a dining room then stripped naked, was
beaten on my bottom hard by the House Mistress, Miss Cullen. I was then taken into a large bathroom with 2 baths end to end. The bathroom was crowded with other naked boys and girls, one bath was for boys, the other was for girls.

Pictured above: The Administration Building housed the Superintendent and his staff during the day. Most of the kids only visited this building when they were in trouble

The water was never changed. There were 2 other female staff in there; one Miss Malden, the other Miss Kilbane (who was lovely throughout my stay and had no hand in any off my abuses). After bath, we were marched out up the stairs to our dormitories. It must have been not more than 20 minutes later, I remember being pulled roughly out off my bed by a man who took my nightshirt off and took me downstairs. I was told to face the wall, opposite a room which was occupied by people.

Pictured above: The church

Every time any one came out of that room I was slapped hard on my bare bum. I was standing facing the wall for what seemed like ages, then I heard people leaving the room and going out the front door. I was then blind-folded and taken into that room and sexually assaulted by 2 people. One tried to bugger me, but stopped when I screamed. Next I remember something hard being put in my mouth. I was crying and shaking with fear, I was so scared. I was told to suck on the thing in my mouth, but was whacked round the head. I heard one person say “He’s no good – his teeth are digging in”. I was then taken back to my dormitory and put into bed, told not to look round or I would get it. The person removed the blindfold. I was frozen, scared, crying. Then I heard the door shut. I lay there scared to move. I must have fallen asleep.

Pictured above: The Avenue ran the entire length of Beechholme. At one end there was the sick bay and Rowen House, then there were seven houses each side before you came to the school on the left and the nursery on the right. The Administration building was midway and on the left, the entrance road was on the right. The Avenue continued on with the Church on the left, staff quarters on the right, then there were four more houses on each side finally ending with a large hall across the end of the road. The houses accommodated about 20 to 25 children (mostly boys), plus the house mother (or house parents).

We were woken up by Miss Malden, the other staff member. I tried to speak to her but she would not listen to me. I tried to talk to Miss Cullen who seemed in charge of Jasmine House. She pulled me into her office and told me ”Children who lie are sent away to bad places. Is that what you want?”. I remember saying “No Miss”. I know they had a school there but can’t seem to think about that. I remember we were all at our tables for tea. After tea, Miss Cullen used to put her chair in the middle of the dining room floor and call us boys to stand in line.

Pictured above: This is the school where infants and juniors attended

She then would one-by-one strip us and spank our bottoms hard in front of the girls. This happened every night after tea, 7 days of every week. Other times at dinner, puddings were served. 10 times while I was there they served figs and custard.

Pictured above: Cedar House – Front and rear Views

I was eating a fig it was horrible and I was sick all over my pudding, and was forced to eat it. Other times I was sick over figs and custard, Miss Kilbane (when she saw Miss Cullen go) would come and remove it and give me a cuddle. She seemed helpless and – I don’t know – I’m sure a few times she had tears in her eyes.

I never saw men in the house during the day, only at nights when they used to take me downstairs and repeat their abuse. God knows how many other boys there were abused like me, at nights. It was no good complaining, no one would listen to me. One day I was told I was leaving, to be taken to another children’s home. I was picked up by car by a LCC Social Worker. I was driven to Hutton children’s residential home, in Shenfield, Essex. I was taken into a large house,
called Thames. All the other houses were named after rivers. I was never sexually abused there by any staff members. Though one boy was, in a different house and his abuser Mr Brabbon was sentenced to six month prison.

Pictured above: Hutton children’s residential home/school

Whilst there somehow some of us were invited to the Billy Cotton Band Show Christmas party, which was shown on BBC television. I was one of the kids who went. It was late 1950’s or early 1960’s. I can remember being seated at the tables full of food. There was Russ Conway, a woman singer and my abuser Alan Breeze. I didn’t know his name at the time. I asked Russ Conway his name. It happened in the men’s toilets. I was in there when Alan Breeze said “You going to toilet?”. I said “Yes”. “Let me help you.” he said and started
touching my penis. He had his hand down my trousers holding my bum. I was trying to pull away, when someone else entered the toilet. I think he saw what was happening and he pulled me away, and sent me out of the toilet. As I left I complained to someone – a man – about what happened. He told me to go away and sit down, which I did. I was so upset and angry. I tried telling Billy Cotton but couldn’t get near him or Russ Conway anymore. I tried to tell staff at the home, but they laughed and walked away.

From that day, I was totally confused and felt alone. It got so bad I was taken to The Maudsley hospital, who after listening to my story told the person who took me there they wanted to keep me in. On hearing that, I ran out of the hospital and was found by my taker outside a big hospital opposite. I was crying and said “No one believes me! I am not staying in that place!”. I was taken back to the home and put on anti-depressants. I have never forgotten my abuse – it still haunts me to this day

Case 2: The darker side of Beecholme 1

“My memories were of sadistic ‘cottage mothers’. We were referred to by number, which was on our clothing and lockers.

The Headmaster, Mr Rayner, and the matron were horrendous creatures, dishing out corporal punishment at the drop of a hat without enquiring as to whether we were guilty or not.

They and the cottage mothers had total control over our lives and our belongings. My own blood mother sent me one shilling every week which over the years amounted to a small fortune. I never saw a penny of that and the obligatory two pence pocket money handed out by the Matron was taken away by the cottage mother.

I also remember being on a near starvation diet. We would have two slices of bread and margarine, whilst the cottage mothers would have bacon and eggs.

The house was freezing and in the midst of winter with six inches of snow, we wore only shoes, black stockings, vest, liberty bodice, shirt, drill slip and thin coat. We had no gloves, scarves or cardigans and we would freeze going to school and in the house. We would have chilblains on hands and feet with the skin bursting open and becoming infected – the backs of our knees would break open with being chapped.”

Case 3: The Darker Side of Beechholme 3

The female members of staff would get the male members of staff to give the punishment out: example: Aunty Joy Walker, in I think Larch or Acacia house told Mr Johnson when he came in I’d sworn at her. He did no more than pick up the metal hoover pipe and whack me with it so hard around the face, then grabbing me by the hair dragged me upstairs punched me in the face picked me up and threw me on the bed. I was cut and bruised all over. I remained in bed till late the next day so also had no tea, no breakfast, no dinner or supper the next day either. When my father came down at the weekend I was not allowed to see him as punishment. This is in my head like a magnet as this was just one of many beatings I took – this one only mild to what other things I endured and I can assure you I was not the only one to have this treatment. 

The fact was that my not seeing my father was really to cover up what was going on. He was told I had been moved next door to ‘Drake’ (?) and we had all gone out for the day, to avoid him seeing the cuts and bruises. Others were told I had fallen down the stairs. 

This form of abuse lasted many years until he left to take a new job at Throwley Road in Sutton, same type of position in a children’s home. 

Case 4: The Darker Side of Beechholme 4

“What was bad at Beechholme was the cold of winter – getting into trouble for bringing snow into the cottage on your feet, having to go outside in all weathers to the loo in the yard and getting out of a cold bed in the night to pretend to go to the toilet because the bucket stood by the fire and you could get bit of warmth into you.

I also remember the trips to Dymchurch. First of all, I can recall the novelty of being in our summer khaki uniforms instead of the grey flannel outfits.

I remember the train ride and the smell of the steam engine. To this day, 60 years on, I have only to strike a match, smell the sulphur and I’m on my way to the seaside. Apart from life inside the cottage, we had the gym for when it rained and our field for when it was dry. But there was nothing to do in either of them; not a football or any sort of toy like a kite.

We were just turned out into the field on a Saturday morning to roam about like cattle, playing until the whistle blew. And then we marched back to the cottage for sausage and cabbage, after which we marched back to the field to graze some more. My sharpest memories of Banstead are of walking round and round that damned field – too cold to run, ears, fingers and toes in agony – being told by the master to jump and get warm.”

Church Destroyed by Fire – 1968

Charred timbers and pews litter the floor where five hours earlier the 90-years-old brick church at Beechholme Residential School stood in Fir Tree Road, Banstead. A spectacular blaze completely destroyed the building in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Life in Beecholme childrens home

An old boy from Beechholme is helping to make a film for Thames TV about the children’s home. Dilly Braimoh, a freelance journalist from St James Road, Sutton, spent most of his young life in the London County Council children’s home which used to occupy a 38 acre site in Fir Tree Road, Banstead.

It closed in 1975, after nearly 100 years and was demolished to make way for housing development. The idea for the film came from Dilly who thought it would be interesting to trace some of the youngsters brought up up in the home and discover how their lives had been affected.

His own memories are happy ones and he says he probably got a better start in life at Beechholme than he might have otherwise. Some of the film’s subjects feel the same way and have done well for themselves, but one ended up in jail and another now has his own children in care.

THE BEECHHOLME SCHOOL SONG

Hurrah for the Banstead School, the school of the breezy downs,

We pass our ways in the open ways, afar from the reek of towns,

And whether we work or play, the lesson we learn is the same,

Play up for your side and win if you can, but anyway play the game.

There is a mouldy dump down Beechholme way where we get bossed about, fifty times a day.

Egg and bacon we don’t see; we get sawdust in our tea.

That’s why we’re gradually fading away.

The teachers are real barmy. The matrons are real mad.

And poor old Bannner the man sometimes looks real sad. 

Banstead Homes girls’ cottage

Each cottage contains on the ground floor a playroom, a sitting-room for the officer or officers, kitchen and scullery, a bath-room and lavatory in which the jet and trough system is in use, every child being provided with a separate towel, brush, and comb. On the upper floor are two dormitories, a linen-closet, and private bedroom. In front of each cottage is a little flower garden, and at the back a playground and kitchen garden. A supernumerary house-mother is in readiness to take charge of any cottage in case of the illness or absence of its usual head. The stores are supplied in bulk to each cottage from the central storerooms, meat, bread, and milk daily, and general stores weekly. 

Banstead Homes from the south-west, 1950s

The daily life of the children 

Children, are, on admission to Banstead, placed in one of the two probationary homes, where they are kept for two weeks, as a further precaution against the introduction of disease into the cottages ; they are then drafted into the several cottage homes, and recommence their school-life, which briefly is as follows:- They rise at 6 in summer and 6.30 in winter ; there is private prayer at the bedside, and common prayer in the dining room before breakfast, which is at 7.15 in summer and 7.45 in winter. After breakfast some have recreation, others perform various domestic duties. The elder children are divided into two divisions, and go to school and workshop on alternate days. At 8.30 the children in turn go to the workshops, and the school division to drill or physical exercises, and thence to school at 8.50. At 10.30 they have 15 minutes recreation. At 12 noon schooling, and also work in the shops, is discontinued, and at 12.30 they have dinner. 

Banstead Homes swimming bath, 1902

On one day in the week girls have physical exercise, 1.15 to 1.50, and boys the same during winter only ; in summer the boys have this on two evenings weekly, 6.20 to 7.20. School and work begins again at 2, with an interval at 3 for play. The school discontinues at 4.30, and the children’s’ work in training shops ceases at 5. In winter from 6.20 to 7.20 there is evening school for elder children, except on those evenings when an entertainment is given instead. Infants leave school at 11.30 and 4, half-an-hour earlier than the others. All have supper at 6 and common prayer afterwards. The boys and girls knit their own stockings, and mend and repair all clothing. Infants go to bed at 7, and the others at 8 in winter, and 9 in summer. The cottage father and mother take their meals with the children. The teachers play with the children in recreation time on the asphalted playground, which is fitted with swings and giant-stride. The children are inspected as to cleanliness, &c. before the commencement of morning and afternoon school. On Wednesday afternoons, all the school divisions go out walking under the care of their teachers. The elder boys are taught cricket and football, and are provided with suitable flannel suits and jerseys. Each girls’ cottage is provided with a go-cart to assist the infants when long walks are taken by the cottage family. On Sunday, service is held by the chaplain in the school chapel, and morning and afternoon Sunday school is held for one hour. There is a circulating library of 656 volumes, which. the children are allowed to take to their homes to read.

Banstead Homes smithy, 1900

Banstead Homes band and parade, 1900

August 2011

Boss is jailed for sex attack on girl

The boss of a furniture fitting business hugged, stroked and kissed a 16-year-old girl after calling at her home to measure the kitchen, a court heard.

The girl’s mother was out and her 14-year-old brother was watching television in another room, unaware anything was wrong.

Nurmahomed Hassam (58), a father of seven, was jailed for 12 months after admitting sexual assault.

Judge Simon Hammond said an aggravating feature in the case involved the girl being assaulted in her home, which should have been her “sanctuary”.

Alan Murphy, prosecuting, said Hassam, of Fairfield Road, Oadby, arranged with the girl’s mother a time to measure up for a furniture fitting job.

He was told she would not be there, but that her daughter would be in.

Hassam arrived at 6.45pm on January 5 this year.

In the kitchen he started to hug the girl, giving her “a big squeeze.”

“He kissed her on the forehead and she pushed him away,” said Mr Murphy.

“He stroked her arm and back and patted her on her bottom, over her clothing. She described feeling awkward and tried to keep her distance.

“They had to go upstairs to her bedroom because she was having some cupboards fitted in there.

“He tried to grab her hand as they went upstairs.

“Whilst measuring drawers he made inappropriate comments about her underwear, asking, ‘Is it sexy?’.

“He kissed her forehead, stroked her hand saying she had soft skin, stroked her hair and asked if she’d be his ‘Baby’.

“He slid his hand down her side and again touched her on the bottom.”

He added: “He kept making comments about her having a lovely smile. They went downstairs, where he grabbed her cheeks and pulled her face towards him, asking her to smile, and at that point she kicked the door to the living room open so he could see her brother.”

The court heard that Hassam told the girl he loved her, before finally leaving.

The girl’s mother returned half an hour later to find her shaking and crying.

In interview, Hassam said he had hugged the girl.

Faye Mellor, in mitigation, said Hassam, who had no previous convictions, employed eight people and his kitchen and furniture fitting business would suffer if he went to jail.

She added: “It was an opportunistic encounter lasting about 15 minutes.

“References show he’s had a positive impact on his community.”

Judge Hammond said: “It must have been a terrifying ordeal in her own home.

“Young girls should be protected from sexual predators.”

He placed Hassam on a sexual offenders protection order banning him from being in the unsupervised company of children under 17.

Hassam will also have to enlist on a sex offender register for 10 years.

July 2013

Man on sex register broke court order

A bar worker on the Sex Offenders Register broke a court order imposed on him after he approached a young teenager several times as she walked too and from school.

Stewart Lloyd cycled past the 13-year-old girl, who was in school uniform, then turned round and spoke to her.

The girl was now so frightened she had to be taken to and from school the court was told.

Lloyd, 25, of The Last Orders, Sherbourne Road, North Shore, pleaded guilty to breaching a restraining order.

He was bailed for pre-sentence reports by Blackpool magistrates.

Presiding, Suzan Simpkin told Lloyd: “The victim is particularly vulnerable because of her age and frankly we are concerned about your behaviour.”

Martine Connah, prosecuting, said Lloyd, who was on the Sex Offenders Register, was put on an indefinite restraining order in May last year for an offence of harassing the girl. The order banned him from any contact with the girl.

On June 19 Lloyd rode passed the girl on a bicycle. He then stopped, turned round and the girl said he asked her for a light.

The girl’s mother was in the public gallery to see the case. The prosecutor told magistrates the mother said Lloyd’s behaviour had had a profound impact on her daughter, who was now scared to walk to school alone and had to be escorted there and back.

Kathryn Jamieson-Sinclair, defending, told magistrates her client said it was entirely coincidental he met the girl. He had cycled past and thought his bike handle had clipped her schoolbag, so he stopped and said “Are you all right.”

Lloyd was extremely sorry about the effect the chance meeting had had on the girl.

July 2013

Abergavenny paedophile is jailed for 15 years for attacks on girl

A PAEDOPHILE who committed a “catalogue of appalling crimes” against a young girl was jailed for 15 years.

Phillip House, 59, raped the young girl five times, committed gross indecency against her twice and indecently assaulted her four times, a court heard.

The young girl was psychologically scarred by the abuse and left with feelings of terror, Cardiff Crown Court heard.

House, of Brecon Road, Abergavenny, was convicted following a six-day trial at Newport Crown Court last month.

Judge Philip Richards told him: “I have to sentence you for an appalling catalogue of crimes, 11 in total, to reflect some of the abuse which you committed against her. You dreadfully abused her.

“I have to pass a sentence which deters others from behaving in the same sort of way as you did. I also have too pass a sentence which makes some compensation for all the psychological damage which Iamquite satisfied you did and which caused her feelings of terror.”

Defence barrister, David Pinnell, said in mitigation that his client had been diagnosed with depression a year ago and had been taking medication for it while on remand.

He added that House had suffered ailments including a chest infection and had one half of his lungs removed.

Mr Pinnell said his client had stopped working four years ago because of his health and would need to have hip replacements owing to arthritis, adding he was also due to undergo an exploratory operation for pains on his lower spine.

Judge Richards sentenced House to 15 years for five counts of rape.

He also gave him five years for one count of indecent assault and ten years for three further counts of indecent assault, all to run concurrently.

House was also given four years for two counts of indecency with a child, also to run concurrently.

Judge Richards said he would have to serve half his sentence in prison before he could be released.

House was also barred from working with children for life and made the subject of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order stopping him from coming into contact with children under 16.

July 2013

Education official admits child abuse image charges

A senior education official at Bournemouth Council has admitted making more than 600 indecent images of children.

Robert Ian Finlay, 53, of Barnes Crescent, East Howe, pleaded guilty to 17 offences committed between January 1 2009 and January 10 this year.

Nearly 100 images have been described by prosecutors as the “highest level of indecency.”

He will be sentenced on August 16.

Finlay, wearing a smart shirt and tie, admitted all charges during a five-minute hearing before Judge John Harrow.  No details of the offences were given but the circumstances are likely to be outlined at the sentencing hearing.

Indecent pictures of children are rated between one and five with level one images said to be the least serious and level five the most serious.

The charges related to 328 level one images, 23 level two, 156 level three, 86 level four and eight level five.

Judge Harrow warned Finlay he is now a convicted sex offender and must report to police.

Finlay has now been fired from his duties at Bournemouth council and also resigned from a position as a governor at The Bourne Academy in West Howe.

According to his online CV he taught at the Epiphany Primary school in Muscliffe during the 1990s and at Winton Primary school between 1994 and 2004, where he was the school’s ICT co-ordinator.

Jane Portman, Executive Director for Adults’ & Children’s Services said: “This has been a difficult time for all those in Children’s Services and many in the wider Council, with staff genuinely shocked and stunned that one of their own colleagues has committed such serious crimes. 

“We have robust recruitment processes in place at the Council and full background checks, including Criminal Records Bureau disclosures, are made on any individual coming to work in Children’s Services. The case was no different with this individual, who came back with a clean record.   

“As soon as the matter was brought to our attention Mr Finlay was immediately suspended from his post. He was subsequently dealt with through to the Council’s disciplinary proceedings and been dismissed.

“The Council remains committed to the safeguarding of our children and young people and continues to work closely with the Police and other agencies on investigations to root out all activity which places children at risk.”

July 2013

Man jailed for 12 years for raping Rugeley girl

A MAN who raped a young Rugeley girl three times was jailed for 12 years.

Carl Leech sexually abused the girl when she was aged between 10 and eleven and offered her mobile phone credit to keep quiet, Stafford crown court heard.

 Mr Anthony Potter, prosecuting, said the victim was too scared to tell anyone at the time, but finally plucked up the courage in March this year with a text message to her mother.

 Police arrested Leech on 10 March this year, when he denied all the allegations and only pleaded guilty on the day he was due to stand trial.

 Leech, aged 43, recently of Cambrian Street, Aberystwyth, admitted two charges of anal rape and one of vaginal rape.

 Along with the jail sentence, Recorder Mr Simon Draycott QC also put Leech on the sex offenders register for life and banned him from working with children indefinitely.

 The offences happened at a house in Rugeley between September 2008 and July the following year.

 Mr Potter said Leech would order the girl to take off her clothes and after raping her told her not to tell anyone or she would be in trouble. He also promised her credit for her mobile phone if she didn’t tell her mother.

 Mr Tim Pole, defending, said: “I concede he is going to get a relatively long sentence.”

July 2013

Man jailed for downloading vile clips of child abuse

A NEWBOLD man who downloaded more than 200 grotesque movie clips of babies and very young children being sexually abused has been jailed.

Simon Graham Lenton, 34, of Grange Road had pleaded guilty to 11 charges of making indecent images of children.

And a judge at Warwick Crown Court, who described them as the worst images she had seen, told him by downloading them he had directly contributed to the horrific abuse they showed.

Lenton stood in the dock shaking and wringing his hands as he was jailed for 18 months and ordered to register as a sex offender for ten years. He was also banned from working with children for life.

Judge Sylvia de Bertodano told him: “These are real things happening to real children; it’s not some fantasy world on your computer.

“They are images created for a market, and the market is created by people like you. You are a direct contributor to the horrific abuse of very young children.

“You were also using internet chat rooms to share your interest with other like-minded people.

“What puts this at the top end of offences of this nature are the grotesque nature of the images. They are the worst I have seen and the message must go out if people download images like this they must go to prison.”

Lenton was arrested after police received information of what he had been looking at online.

While waiting to be taken to the police station he asked an officer if he would be going to prison, saying he would rather die.

On his computer and a portable hard drive a total of 224 movies, including 187 classed as level four and seven level five – the most serious – were found.

He admitted to have been downloading them since September last year and eventually accepted he did get some sexual gratification from them although denied having any thoughts of actually abusing children.

Nick Devine, defending, had asked the Judge not send Lenton to prison.

“Mr Lenton does appear to be someone who is prepared to accept and confront the motivation for accessing such images.

“The first way to confront a problem is to acknowledge that you’ve got a problem and Mr Lenton does.

July 2013

53 year old Hairdresser groped 14-year-old girl as she waited as bus stop

A hairdresser groped a 14-year-old girl as she waited at a bus stop with her friends.

Clive McMahon, 53, admitting touching the schoolgirl, who was known to his daughter, as she waited in South Street, Perth on February 1.

On Monday, Perth Sheriff Court was told the girl and her friends were shocked when McMahon carried out the attack.

Fiscal depute Jim Eodonable told the court: “The complainer and her friends were at the bus stop with the accused.

“They could be described as casual acquaintances as the complainer knows his daughter. They had bumped into each other and walked to the bus stop.

“She formed the opinion that he was drunk. He said goodbye and leaned in to give her a hug with both of his arms over her shoulders.

“The complainer wasn’t comfortable with this but didn’t do anything to shrug the hug off. He then stopped the embrace.

“As he was moving away one of his hands took hold of one of her breasts. It was for a sufficiently long time that two of her friends saw what happened. They were shocked.”

McMahon, from Scone, admitted sexually assaulting the 14-year-old girl and has been placed on the sex offenders register. He will be sentenced at a later date once reports have been prepared.

July 2013

Joiner who distributed child abuse images facing ‘lengthy’ sentence

A joiner who distributed child abuse images and videos to more than 160 people across the world has been told he faces a “lengthy” jail term.

Adam Nowicki collected a stash of almost 12,000 pictures and more than 700 videos over the course of more than four years.

He then stored them on his computer in a folder that allowed paedophiles across the globe to access them. Dundee Sheriff Court heard that Nowicki had accepted 162 requests from other web users to access the folder.

Fiscal depute Douglas Wiseman added that of the huge haul of pictures and videos found, 1683 pictures and 397 videos were at level four of the scale used to measure such images, depicting sexual abuse of children by adults.

Meanwhile, 211 of the images and 52 of the videos were at the top level, level five, including images of sadism towards children.

Sheriff George Way told Nowicki that a “lengthy custodial sentence” was likely.

Nowicki, 26, of Dens Road, Dundee, pleaded guilty on indictment to charges of downloading and distributing indecent images of children between February 1, 2008 and June 30, 2012.

Paul Parker-Smith, defending, said: “He placed these images in a folder on his computer which can and has been accessed by other persons. It was a passive sense of distribution.”

Sheriff George Way deferred sentence and released Nowicki on bail with conditions that he has no contact with children and does not access the internet.

He said: “You have pled guilty to distribution of a significant number of level five images and nothing other than a lengthy custodial sentence is likely to follow.”

July 2013

Baby abuse images pervert will be free in just six months

A child abuse images addict who amassed a library of more than 100,000 vile images including one-year-old babies being sexually abused will be free in just six months.

Alan Brown, 33, was caught red-handed scouring the Internet for pictures and videos of ‘pre-teens’ being raped and sexually abused.

He fed his addiction for three years by downloading huge amounts of child abuse images and films.

Brown admitted to snaring children in online chatrooms with sexually charged conversations, pleasuring himself when teenage girls agreed to strip off on camera. 

Brown was put on the sex offenders register and will be banned from working with children for life

July 2013

Lichfield man shared 10,000 indecent child images online

A Lichfield man with a “library” of over 10,000 vile digital photos and movies of children being abused put them up on the internet for other perverts to look at, a judge heard.

Police found the hoard on two computers owned by Christopher Dodd in a search raid on his home on 14 February last year as a result of information about his internet usage.

The indecent material included scenes of children as young as two being sexually assaulted and youngsters aged ten or 12 being tied up and horribly abused.

Mr Nick Burn, prosecuting, said the images were all ‘live’ files that could be viewed by the defendant. They were also loaded up onto a file-sharing website.

Dodd used the nickname ‘Lichlad’ to download images and to receive requests from others to view his files.

“Effectively there was a ‘sharing’ folder, effectively a library he allowed others to access,” said Mr Burn.

Dodd, aged 32, of Upper St John Street, Lichfield, who admitted ten charges of possessing indecent images of children for show and two of simple possession was given a three year community order to undergo a sex offender treatment programme.

He was also ordered to do 250 hours unpaid community work and his internet use restricted under a Sexual Offences Prevention Order.

Recorder Mr Simon Draycott QC told him: “If you had any previous convictions, I would have no hesitation in sending you immediately to custody.”

Mr Burn said Dodd’s ‘library’ for sharing included; 8,625 photos and 33 movies at the least serious level one; 1,199 photos and 79 movies level two; 749 photos and 23 movies level three; 1,482 photos and 117 movies level four and 152 photos and 10 movies at the most serious level five. On a separate laptop he also had 97 images at level one and 62 images level two.

Mr Burn said the level five material was “a very graphic and unpleasant set of photos and moving images being used by the defendant and being made available to other persons of like intent.”

Mr Tim pole, defending, said that that following his arrest in August last year, Dodd was fully co-operative with the police.

July 2013

Durham man who went on run to Dubai finally jailed for illicit relationship with underage girl

A MAN facing child sex allegations went on the run to avoid prosecution, starting a new life in the Middle East.

Following a complaint to police over his activities with an underage girl, Graeme Ackerman was arrested and interviewed, but made no comment.

Durham Crown Court heard, however, that in a later interview, in July 2011, he told police he had become “close” to the girl, who he believed was “infatuated” with him.

Robin Turton, prosecuting, said Ackerman was told he would be reported for summons to appear at court, but failed to attend the first hearing before North Durham magistrates, in November 2011.

Mr Turton said it emerged he had, by then, left the country on a flight to Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates.

His whereabouts came to light earlier this year and he was arrested, spending 86 days in custody in the emirate before extradition was agreed and he was brought back to this country in late May, since when he has remained in custody.

Ackerman, 48, formerly of High Street, Carrville, Durham, pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual activity with a child.

John Gregg, mitigating, told the court: “He’s a man of mature years with a good record working in retail, in managerial positions for supermarkets.

“But, he knows the law is in place to protect teenage girls.

“He says she was a teenage girl infatuated with him, but he knows he should have dealt with that appropriately and failed to do so.”

Mr Gregg submitted a letter from the defendant and a character reference submitted by his fiancée, a pharmaceutical company manager he met in Dubai.

Jailing him for three years and nine months, Recorder Graham Hyland also imposed a sexual offences prevention order, to run “until further notice”, restricting future unsupervised contact with underage girls, while Ackerman must also register as a sex offender for life.