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A couple who tormented children by starving them, feeding them soap and pushing them into scalding showers have been found guilty of multiple counts of child abuse.
Cheryl Pickles, 35, and Andrew Hadwin, 39, starved the children until they were so hungry they walked four miles to rummage through supermarket bins at 4 a.m.
Finally, when the youths confided the abuse to a trusted adult who raised the case with the police, Hadwin and Pickles panicked and forged letters purporting to have been written by children.
The letters, written in a childish scribble, read: “Sorry, we told lies,” and went on to explain that they had fabricated the accusations against the couple.
Cheryl Pickles, 35, and Andrew Hadwin, 39, of Fishburn, County Durham, tormented the children by starving them, feeding them soap and pushing them into scalding showers, have been found guilty of multiple counts of child abuse.
The couple were convicted of a protracted campaign of child abuse by a jury at Teesside Crown Court after a lengthy trial.
But a handwriting expert dismissed them as fake and Hadwin and Pickles, from Fishburn, Co. Durham, were found guilty of a protracted campaign of child abuse by a jury at Teesside Crown Court after a lengthy trial.
During the trial, jurors heard about chilling acts by the couple, including hanging a terrified child over a highway bridge.
They now face sentencing in April and have been warned that they will expect long prison terms.
Their crime came to light in 2018 when one of the children bravely revealed what had happened to a trusted adult, and an investigation was launched by Durham Police.
During the investigation, which spanned four years and involved more than 150 witnesses, detectives found that Hadwin and Pickles repeatedly abused the boys by making them eat soap, locking them in closets, forcing them to shower and bathe in scalding water, sometimes submerging their heads. underwater – and depriving them of access to food.
The children often had to search for scraps to eat, and on one occasion were found at 4 a.m. walking alone to a supermarket four miles away to try to find food.
Cheryl Pickles was found guilty of five counts of child cruelty and one count of perverting the course of justice. She was found not guilty of sexual activity with a child.
Hadwin was found guilty of three counts of rape, seven counts of neglect, and one count of perversion of the course of justice. He was found not guilty on one count of sexual activity with a child.
At Teesside Crown Court, the couple were found guilty of multiple counts of abuse and warned they would face lengthy prison terms before sentencing on April 28.
The couple would also order takeout and have the children watch them eat while standing in stress positions for long periods of time.
Hadwin and Pickles were charged with multiple counts of child neglect and sexual activity with a child, and one count of perversion of the course of justice.
Hadwin was also charged with three counts of rape in connection with the non-recent abuse of another child that occurred when she was a child. The couple denied all charges, which resulted in a seven-week trial at Teesside Crown Court.
During the trial, the court heard from medical experts who described how children regularly suffered painful injuries, with one child left with life-limiting injuries as a result of the abuse.
They also heard how the couple wrote letters, which were turned over to police, claiming to be from the children in which they apologized for lying and were sorry, and made false accusations of sexual assault by professionals working to support them.
However, a handwriting expert confirmed that the handwriting was not that of a child and that the letters had actually been written in a notebook found in the couple’s home.
After three days of deliberations, the jury found Hadwin guilty of three counts of rape, seven counts of negligence, and one count of perversion of the course of justice. He was found not guilty of sexual activity with a child.
Pickles was found guilty of five counts of child cruelty and one count of perverting the course of justice. She was found not guilty of sexual activity with a child.
The couple remained in pretrial detention to be sentenced on Friday, April 28 in the same court.
After the verdict, Detective Inspector Tonya Cook, who led the investigation, said: “This was a harrowing case where all witnesses, partners and police have demonstrated high levels of professionalism to ensure justice is served for these children.” .
“It has also demonstrated Durham Police’s commitment to keeping members of our communities safe and fully listening to the voices of children when they speak out against those around them.”
Detective Constable Kat Pudney, Durham Police Protection Unit, the investigating officer, said: “This was an extremely complex and harrowing investigation for all involved, the likes of which I had never encountered during my time as a police officer.” .
‘Hadwin and Pickles subjected a number of vulnerable children to multiple forms of abuse, robbing them of their childhood and no doubt leaving them with psychological wounds from which they may never fully recover.
“I want to highlight how incredibly brave these children have been throughout this lengthy investigation – their strength in standing up to their abusers is to be commended.
“One of Hadwin’s victims is now a young woman who 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 in pretrial detention.
‘Hadwin and Pickles have lied to the police and other professionals, and have attempted to blame others throughout this investigation, in an attempt to divert attention from themselves.
“I am delighted that the jury has returned these verdicts, ultimately protecting more children from falling victim to their manipulative and abhorrent behavior.
“I hope this result allows the children to close this chapter of their lives and begin their healing journey.”
She added: ‘The protection and well-being of children is everyone’s business – all children deserve to be safe, protected and loved.
‘If you suspect a child is being abused or neglected, speak up about their actions that could save a life.’