June 2014

Judge voices suspicions of ‘paedophile ring’ as duo are jailed for catalogue of sex offences

Two former soldiers are behind bars for a total of 24 years today for a catalogue of sex offences against schoolgirls.

Jeffrey Murphy and Colin Angliss abused three girls between them – but it could not be proved that they were part of a “paedophile ring”.

One of the underage girls suffered sex attacks from both men on different occasions.

She was groomed, sexually assaulted and raped by Murphy, and molested by Angliss.

She had to tell two separate juries of her ordeals as the men denied all charges and stood trials.

Some of the crimes dated back to the 1990s, others in the following decade,Teesside Crown Court heard.

The three victims came forward and reported Murphy to the police years later as young women.

Prosecutor Aisha Wadoodi told of the far-reaching long-term impact on their lives, mental health and relationships.

For one woman, it led to depression, self-harm and panic attacks.

She said in a statement read out in court: “I’ve never been able to have any steady relationship with men because I’ve never trusted them.

“I can’t sleep without my light on and I constantly have nightmares about what abuse he did to me.”

Another wrote: “I hate Colin Angliss for what he did to me. I believe that he knew how vulnerable I was as a child.

“I’ve had nightmares and hot sweats about what he did to me.

“I wish he would just admit what he did to me so that I can get some closure.

“This will never go away.”

Judge Howard Crowson jailed Murphy for 15 years, his first prison sentence, telling him: “Your selfish desires came first.”

He said the 56-year-old raped two girls, grooming one, using violence on the other by pinning her down and putting his hand over her mouth.

He lived in the Middlesbrough area at the time of the sex crimes.

Murphy, now of Magdalene Road, Torquay, denied two charges of rape, one of indecency with a child and one of indecent assault.

He was convicted by a jury on all four counts after a trial last month.

In a separate trial Angliss, of Stokesley Road, Nunthorpe, Middlesbrough, was convicted unanimously by a jury this week on 11 charges of sexually abusing two girls.

The 54-year-old was found guilty of six counts of indecent assault, three of sexual activity with a child, and one each of indecency with a child and causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

He told one of the girls he loved her and wanted to run away with her, and felt he had control over the other girl, said Judge Peter Armstrong.

At one point Angliss was caught and was told such behaviour could get him locked up.

Undeterred, he went on to commit more sex offences.

Judge Armstrong jailed Angliss for nine years, also his first prison sentence.

The judge praised the courage of the two young women and other witnesses for giving evidence.

“The truth will out,” he said.

“There were elements of grooming in respect of both children.”

After the guilty verdicts, he had said: “Sometimes there is what’s known as a paedophile ring where there is knowledge of sexual abuse of children which is passed on.

“However suspicious one might be, I’ll have to work on the basis that he was acting alone.”

Neither Murphy nor Angliss had previous convictions.

Murphy’s barrister Gary Cook said the crimes were isolated, sporadic, “occasional transgressions” with no overt threats or coercion, rather than premeditated, protracted grooming and abuse.

He added: “However badly he treated those girls, there were clearly others who spoke of him very well.

“He is forever tainted by these allegations.”

Adrian Dent, representing Angliss, said the life of the former Army Private, who had a 20-year military career, would be devastated by the convictions.

Both men were given sexual offences prevention orders, banning them from unsupervised contact with girls under 18, and will be on the sex offenders’ register and banned from working with children, all indefinitely.

Murphy’s father Brian Murphy, 78, of Evergreen Walk, Saltersgill, Middlesbrough, had appeared in court with his son and Angliss last September.

He denied an indecent assault on one girl in the 1990s and two counts of causing or inciting two more girls to engage in sexual activity last year.

He died before the matters came to trial and the case was closed last November