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| Gordon Anglesea: Paedophile ex-police boss gets 12 years | Gordon Anglesea: Paedophile ex-police boss gets 12 years |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| A former North Wales Police superintendent has been jailed for 12 years for historical child sex abuse. | A former North Wales Police superintendent has been jailed for 12 years for historical child sex abuse. |
| Gordon Anglesea, 79, from Old Colwyn, was convicted of one charge of indecent assault against one boy and three indecent assaults against another. | Gordon Anglesea, 79, from Old Colwyn, was convicted of one charge of indecent assault against one boy and three indecent assaults against another. |
| The offences took place between 1982 and 1987, when both boys were 14 or 15. | The offences took place between 1982 and 1987, when both boys were 14 or 15. |
| Jailing him at Mold Crown Court on Friday, Judge Geraint Walters said Anglesea "grossly abused" the trust placed in him by the boys. | Jailing him at Mold Crown Court on Friday, Judge Geraint Walters said Anglesea "grossly abused" the trust placed in him by the boys. |
| "The consequences for them has been profound, indeed life changing," he added. | "The consequences for them has been profound, indeed life changing," he added. |
| Anglesea's defence said custody would be "extremely difficult" for him. | Anglesea's defence said custody would be "extremely difficult" for him. |
| During the six-week trial, the court heard one boy was abused in the showers of a Home Office attendance centre in Wrexham run by Anglesea, who was a police inspector at the time. | |
| Eleanor Laws QC, for the prosecution, told the court one of Anglesea's victims had tried to kill himself. | Eleanor Laws QC, for the prosecution, told the court one of Anglesea's victims had tried to kill himself. |
| In a victim impact statement, he said he tried to commit suicide "simply because I couldn't bear to live with the memories of what that man did to me". | In a victim impact statement, he said he tried to commit suicide "simply because I couldn't bear to live with the memories of what that man did to me". |
| Another victim, who was sent to Bryn Alyn care home at the age of 13, described how he had felt fearful of Anglesea even as an adult. | Another victim, who was sent to Bryn Alyn care home at the age of 13, described how he had felt fearful of Anglesea even as an adult. |
| He said: "Of all my abusers, Anglesea was the worst. He was the one I feared the most." | He said: "Of all my abusers, Anglesea was the worst. He was the one I feared the most." |
| Anglesea wiped his eye as he heard one victim had started drinking at the age of 14 and had been an alcoholic all of his adult life. | Anglesea wiped his eye as he heard one victim had started drinking at the age of 14 and had been an alcoholic all of his adult life. |
| North Wales Police Chief Constable Mark Polin apologised to the victims whose lives Anglesea had "traumatically affected". | North Wales Police Chief Constable Mark Polin apologised to the victims whose lives Anglesea had "traumatically affected". |
| Mr Polin said Anglesea had abused a position of power and trust and his actions were "reprehensible" and "unacceptable". | Mr Polin said Anglesea had abused a position of power and trust and his actions were "reprehensible" and "unacceptable". |
| He told BBC Wales that while it had taken a "long time" for justice to be served, there was no evidence of any misconduct or systemic failings by the force. | He told BBC Wales that while it had taken a "long time" for justice to be served, there was no evidence of any misconduct or systemic failings by the force. |
| "I expect abusers in north Wales and elsewhere to be looking over their shoulders for the rest of their lives, I think time has caught up with Gordon Anglesea," he said. | "I expect abusers in north Wales and elsewhere to be looking over their shoulders for the rest of their lives, I think time has caught up with Gordon Anglesea," he said. |
| Roy McComb, National Crime Agency deputy director for specialist investigations, said Anglesea abused children who "should have been safe in his presence". | Roy McComb, National Crime Agency deputy director for specialist investigations, said Anglesea abused children who "should have been safe in his presence". |
| Ed Beltrami, chief prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service Wales, said the sentence was a "testament" to the fortitude of those who came forward. | Ed Beltrami, chief prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service Wales, said the sentence was a "testament" to the fortitude of those who came forward. |
| Anglesea was arrested in 2013 as part of the National Crime Agency's Operation Pallial investigation into historical abuse across north Wales. | Anglesea was arrested in 2013 as part of the National Crime Agency's Operation Pallial investigation into historical abuse across north Wales. |
| Tania Griffiths, defending, argued Anglesea had not had a fair trial and the verdicts were "perverse" and "unsafe". | Tania Griffiths, defending, argued Anglesea had not had a fair trial and the verdicts were "perverse" and "unsafe". |
| He was also found not guilty of an alternative charge of a serious sexual assault. | He was also found not guilty of an alternative charge of a serious sexual assault. |
| In 1994, Anglesea was awarded £375,000 in libel damages after media organisations ran stories about his links to abuse at children's homes in north Wales. | In 1994, Anglesea was awarded £375,000 in libel damages after media organisations ran stories about his links to abuse at children's homes in north Wales. |
| He is expected to appeal against the conviction. | He is expected to appeal against the conviction. |
| NSPCC Wales said Anglesea had "robbed his victims of their childhoods". | NSPCC Wales said Anglesea had "robbed his victims of their childhoods". |
| Gordon Anglesea: A timeline | Gordon Anglesea: A timeline |