Man is convicted of sexual abuse

Man is convicted of sexual abuse

2 May 2012

A MAN in his 30s has been found guilty of sexually abusing two brothers while his sister baby-sat them.

A jury found the man, who is from the Newcastle area but who cannot be named to protect the identity of his alleged victims, guilty of assaulting the two boys when they were between six and 10 years old.

Sentencing has been adjourned pending the production of pre-sentence reports.

Before coming to their verdict on Thursday following a week long trial, the jury of six men and six women had heard from a number of witnesses including the injured parties who described details of abuse which they said happened while their mother was at work.

They claimed the abuse occurred in the defendant’s family home where they were being cared for by the defendant’s sister and said they were given money by the defendant in thanks for the abuse.

One brother tearfully recalled the defendant lying on a bed in an upstairs bedroom of his house while he sexually assaulted him.

“The next thing I recall is being downstairs at the front door and being handed two 20 pence pieces,” he said.

One of the injured parties also told the court he recalled being in an upstairs bedroom with the defendant when the defendant’s mother walked into the room while he was being abused. He said the defendant covered himself with a tea-towel and the incident went unnoticed.

The court heard that one of the brothers approached the defendant before going to the police in 2011. He said he asked him why he had abused him and claimed the defendant said he was sorry and that “his head had been messed up at the time” over a family death.

The defendant and members of his family denied the abuse in court and said he had hardly been in the house when his sister was baby-sitting.

The defendant’s sister wept as she told the court; “My brother would not have done that; I have known him for years.”

The man will be sentenced for two charges of indecent assault and one charge of incitement to commit an act of gross indecency. The charges relate to unknown dates between June 28, 1998, and June 27, 2001.