Jury chosen for shocking trial of parents
accused of sexually abusing their children
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A jury has been chosen to hear what could be a marathon trial of a couple accused of shocking sexual abuse and violence against their own children.
The 14 people on the jury picked Tuesday are expected to begin hearing evidence on Friday in London against a woman, aged 54, and a man, aged 57, who face a total of 47 charges.
Six to eight weeks has been set aside to hear the case being overseen by Superior Court Justice Thomas Heeney.
A publication ban has been placed on anything that could identify the four complainants expected to testify through a closed-circuit link.
The indictment against the couple is five pages long, with some charges allocated to them individually and some as a co-accused. It took the court’s registrar about 30 minutes to read the counts into the record before the jury selection process began.
The couple has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The charges include sexual assault, sexual assault causing bodily harm, aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault with a weapon, sexual exploitation, assault, assault with a weapon, forcible confinement, invitation to sexual touching, incest, procurement for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity, threats, administering noxious things and failing to provide the necessaries of life.
The indictment suggests some of the charges date as far back as 2003, and continue with the most recent allegations dating to March 31, 2020.
After the jurors were chosen, Heeney told them all 14 would hear the evidence, but, as has become practice in lengthy trials, only 12 would decide the verdicts.
They were cautioned not to read or to watch news reports or anything on the internet.
The Crown is expected to give an opening address on Friday morning where they will outline their case before starting to call witnesses.
Heeney said the jury will get a break on Monday afternoon to allow the jurors to see the solar eclipse, what he called “a rare and phenomenal event.”
Another one, he said, won’t be seen in our region for another 176 years and “we shouldn’t be missing this one.”
The case returns on Friday.
Fugitive arrested after 27 years running from
child sex abuse charges
Richard Burrows, now 80 years old, was brought to Chester Crown Court in police custody Tuesday after he failed to show up to his trial in 1997, instead going on the run. After almost three decades evading the law, Burrows will now answer to charges that he assaulted kids at children’s homes in central England from 1969 to 1971, according to a statement from Cheshire police.
Burrows fled England after skipping his 1997 court date. Cheshire police have been trying to locate him since then through multiple wanted notices and an appeal to the public on the BBC’s Crimewatch program in 1998.
The U.K.’s National Crime Agency, which is the country’s point of contact with foreign law enforcement organizations like Interpol, determined that Burrows was living in Thailand and that he planned to fly back to the U.K. on March 28.
Burrows took the flight as planned and was arrested at Heathrow Airport when he touched down.
“Utilizing our international network and working closely with Cheshire Police colleagues, we have been able to track down a fugitive wanted in connection to extremely serious allegations,” said Duncan Burrage, a National Crime Agency officer stationed in Thailand.
“This arrest demonstrates law enforcement’s unwavering commitment to hunt down those who await justice in the UK.”
Burrows was charged with two counts of buggery and 11 counts of indecent assault in 1997, stemming from allegations of historic sexual abuse of minors at children’s homes in Congleton and the West Midlands.
In the U.K., indecent assault is understood to mean the crime of non-consensual touching or sexual threat, according to Lawtons Solicitors.
While the crime of buggery was formally removed from English legislation in 2003, it was understood at the time to mean the crime of non-consensual anal penetration.
When Burrows was first put on trial for the charges in 1997, he denied any wrongdoing in an initial hearing before fleeing. He will have to resubmit his pleas during a court appearance scheduled for June.
“Our determination to locate Burrows has not faltered over the past 27 years and his arrest marks a significant step forward in this case and the beginning of closure for all those involved,” said Eleanor Atkinson, a detective inspector with Cheshire police.
“I also hope that his arrest acts as a warning to any other wanted suspects, demonstrating that no matter how long you hide, we will find you and you will be arrested.”
Burrows appeared briefly in court Tuesday. During the hearing, he only spoke twice — to confirm he failed to appear in court in 1997 and to confirm that the warrant for his arrest had been executed, the BBC reports.
The proceedings were delayed because Burrows has difficulty hearing.
Photos of Burrows heading to trial showed him wearing a grey tracksuit and holding a cane while in handcuffs.
Nice combination!
A couple have been jailed after being convicted of jointly sexually abusing an under-age girl.
Scott Geraghty, 31, and Chloe Dixon, 26, preyed on the child in 2020 and caused "immeasurable
pain and suffering", police said.
The pair, from Rainford, were found guilty of child sex offences following a trial at Liverpool Crown Court.
On Thursday, Geraghty was jailed for 11 years and six months and Dixon for nine years and six months.
The defendants, both of News Lane, were jointly convicted of one count of sexual communication
with a child and one of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child.
Geraghty was also convicted of six counts of sexual activity with a child and one of inciting a
child to engage in sexual activity.
Dixon was found guilty of one count of possessing indecent images of a child, one of inciting
a child to engage in sexual activity and one of sexual activity with a child.
Det Sgt Rebecca Igglesden praised the victim for her "strength, patience and bravery".
"Geraghty and Dixon's crimes have caused immeasurable pain and suffering to their victim and
her family", she added.
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