Depraved couple tortured children by starving them as they faked kids' letters to police saying they lied about abuse
19 January 2023, 14:26 | Updated: 19 January 2023, 14:45
A couple who starved children, made them have boiling hot showers and baths, fed them soap and locked them in cupboards face jail for their years of abuse.
Andrew Hadwin and Cheryl Pickles, from Bowburn in County Durham, have been convicted after they left some children so underfed they walked four miles to try and get food from supermarket bins at 4am.
They dangled one child over a motorway bridge and submerged them underwater during the boiling baths, and left the children to scavenge for scraps as they cut off their access to food.
The depraved pair would then order takeaways and make the hungry children watch them eat as they stood in stress positions.
Police said they had "robbed" their victims of their childhood and left them with "psychological wounds which they may never truly recover from".
One child was left with life-limiting injuries and others were regularly hurt, Teesside Crown Court heard during their trial.
The couple was caught out when a child told a trusted adult what had happened and police opened an "extremely complex and distressing investigation" involving 150 witnesses.
Hadwin and Pickles then tried to fake letters from the children to police, pretending the youngsters were apologising for lying about the two and made false allegations of sexual assault against professionals who were helping the kids.
A handwriting expert verified they were not written by children and it was discovered they were penned in a notebook at their run-down terraced home.
Hadwin was also charged with three counts of rape over non-recent abuse of another child when she was a young girl.
Hadwin, 39, was convicted of three counts of rape, seven of neglect and one count of perverting the course of justice. He was cleared of sexual activity with a child.
Pickles, 35, was found guilty of five counts of child cruelty and one count of perverting the course of justice after the seven-week trial. She was cleared of sexual activity with a child.
They are both due to be sentenced on April 28.
Detective Constable Kat Pudney, of Durham Constabulary's Safeguarding Unit, said: "This was an extremely complex and distressing investigation for all involved, the likes of which I have never encountered during my time as a police officer.
"Hadwin and Pickles subjected several vulnerable children to multiple forms of abuse, robbing them of their childhood, and undoubtedly leaving them with psychological wounds which they may never truly recover from.
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"I want to highlight how incredibly brave these children have been throughout this lengthy investigation - their strength to stand up to their abusers must be commended.
"One of Hadwin's victims is now a young woman – she has shown incredible bravery in reliving her ordeal many years later. I hope she finds some comfort that her attacker has now been convicted and remanded."
Detective Constable Kat Pudney said: "Hadwin and Pickles have lied to police and other professionals, and attempted to blame others throughout this investigation, in an attempt to divert the attention away from themselves.
"I am delighted that the jury have returned these verdicts, ultimately protecting further children from falling victim to their manipulative and abhorrent behaviour.
"I hope this result will allow the children to close this chapter of their lives and start their healing journey."
