Care worker who helped boss with child abuse jailed for 25 years

Care worker who helped boss with child abuse jailed for 25 years

Former manager avoids prison as assistant faces lengthy sentence

Care worker who helped boss - A 67-year-old woman was sentenced to 25 years in prison for her role in enabling a former children’s home manager’s abuse of children, while her male colleague received an absolute discharge despite being found guilty of multiple offences. Linda Brunning, from Sowerby Bridge, was convicted of sexually abusing a boy and aiding another in the 1980s and 1990s. Meanwhile, Malcolm Phillips, 93, who led Skircoat Lodge in Halifax from 1976 to 1994, was deemed unfit to stand trial and given a final verdict that spared him from incarceration.

Phillips, known as a "master manipulator," was accused of sexually and physically assaulting four girls and two boys over two decades. The judge at Bradford Crown Court noted that the legal framework limited her ability to convict him, stating he would not face prison. Brunning, who worked as his assistant, was described by prosecutors as a "domineering figure" who enjoyed humiliating children. She had denied all charges but acknowledged the jury’s findings during her sentencing hearing.

“You were the dominant force and cultivated a culture of fear among the young and extremely vulnerable children in your care,” said Judge Kirstie Watson. “Together with Brunning, you committed vile abuse against children.”

The trial revealed how Phillips isolated children for his own gratification, using his authority to control their lives. Victims were deprived of food and sleep, threatened with losing family visits, and told no one would believe their stories. Many ran away after being abused but were returned to the home by police, labeled as liars and troublemakers. Three survivors, including Kelly Lees, Karen Bentham, and Angela Radford, attended the sentencing hearing.

Lees, who was sexually assaulted by Phillips in the 1990s, expressed frustration over his leniency. “I was a child and vulnerable. He abused so many on a daily basis,” she said. “I feel sad that I’ve had to fight for so many years and angry that I haven’t had a proper childhood.”

During the trial, evidence showed Phillips targeted children, calling one his “special girl” and abusing her repeatedly after assigning homework. Lees skipped school and fled, hoping to escape his grasp, but was quickly retrieved by authorities. She also mentioned struggling with survivor’s guilt, emphasizing that the blame should fall on Phillips, Brunning, and the professionals who failed to protect them.

Phillips had previously been convicted in 2001 for abusing eight girls in the 1970s and 80s, receiving a seven-year sentence. The children’s home, which housed kids aged four to 16 under care orders, was meant to provide safety. Yet, the latest trial exposed a system where abuse persisted, with no complaints about Brunning’s conduct after she left the facility in 1994.