November 1999

Union leader jailed for child sex abuse

The man who fought to save York Carriageworks was today jailed for eight years for child abuse spanning three decades.

Flashback: Tony Walton was at the gates to Downing Street in February, 1995, when he joined a delegation that handed a petition to the Prime Minister, calling for the carriageworks to be saved. During this period he was abusing a young boy.

Former union convenor Tony Walton was continuing his secret perverted life even as he laboured to protect hundreds of jobs.

Sentencing Walton at Hull Crown Court, Judge Trevor Barber paid tribute to his work for fellow employees at the factory, and as a counsellor afterwards to the unemployed.

But, he continued: “On the other side of the coin you committed a series of sexual offences.”

He added that the abuse he started secretly in 1966 only emerged decades later when one victim complained in May last year.

“This whole sorry story came out,” said Judge Barber. “The effect of your behaviour may best be judged by the fact that when he was 14 he tried to hang himself.”

He then described how Walton befriended each boy, invited them to his house while his wife, Iris, was out, and then abused them.

He jailed Walton, 58, formerly of Burnholme Avenue, Tang Hall, for eight years for eight charges of indecent assault and two of indecency with a child.

All the boys were under 14 at the time of the offences and the youngest was aged ten or 11.

Walton must register as a sex offender for life and have extended supervision when he leaves jail.

He was convicted at Doncaster Crown Court by a jury in September of three indecent assaults on the boy who tried to hang himself.

He pleaded guilty to three indecent assaults committed in the late 1960s, and to two indecent assaults and two indecent acts committed during the ABB Carriageworks campaign.

The court heard that on at least one occasion Walton gave his victim a drink of beer but earlier Simon Hickey, prosecuting, had said there was no suggestion he tried to get the boys drunk.

Speaking for Walton, Robert Terry said that his mental state had deteriorated following his conviction in September but he seemed to have improved since.

“He is to a large extent a broken man,” said Mr Terry.

He added that Walton would not be a risk to the public when he was released because of the way in which he had committed the offences.

The Walton family was standing by him. He had been a devoted family man, and married for 37 years.

The judge heard that Walton had tried to kill himself after the offences came to light.

The court was told yesterday that, while being interviewed by police, Walton had said that he himself had been abused as a child.

Ryedale MP John Greenway, who worked with Walton to save the York Carriageworks in 1995, said today he was “astounded” to hear what offences he had committed.

“I think it’s very sad,” he said. “During the campaign, I grew to like the man, but what he has admitted doing is just unacceptable.

“The damage he has done to these young boys is horrendous and cannot be tolerated.”