Child abuser who faked disability to avoid justice is jailed

A child abuser who tried to avoid justice by faking a disability before he was caught out by CCTV has been jailed for 15 years.

John Siddell, 41, sexually assaulted three boys in Leicestershire between 2018 and 2021 but when initially interviewed by police, his brother James Siddell, 44, claimed he could not walk or talk.

After being deemed unfit to stand trial, John was found guilty in 2024 by a jury in a fact finding hearing - only for him to later be seen on nights out at a social club.

In September, he admitted 15 counts of child sex abuse and both brothers admitted one count of perverting the course of justice. They were sentenced in their absence at Leicester Crown Court on Tuesday.

John was sentenced to 15 years in prison with an extended licence period of two years.

His older brother, who was described as a "conman", was sentenced to two years and nine months.

Judge Keith Raynor said of the child abuser: "He misled hospital staff, custody staff, arresting officers, he misled his own lawyers.

"He's misled staff at this court; he has misled me at a previous court hearing."

Tuesday's sentencing hearing was told two psychiatric reports initially determined John as unfit to plead to the offences because he was in a wheelchair and appeared to be mute, with his sibling speaking on his behalf.

A judge subsequently ruled him unfit to stand trial.

The court heard that following a two-day trial of facts in March 2024, the jury found John to have committed all the crimes he was accused of.

Claudia James, for the prosecution, said: "Despite their double lives eventually catching up with them, they continued to live the lie together and attempt to delay and avoid hearings.

"James played an active role in supporting his brother's façade and encouraged the pretence that he was unfit."

The court was told that the eldest victim, then aged 14, disclosed the abuse to his mother and further reports of sexual abuse were made against John from two other boys, the youngest of whom was just four at the time of the offending.

Two of the victims told police they did not say anything as they were "scared".

Another said they became emotional unstable, had nightmares and spent most of their days in their bedroom.

The court heard that in July 2021 James provided a statement to police, claiming his brother had "limited mobility" and "could not have committed those offences as alleged due to his disabilities".

In February 2023, James requested a GP letter to say John was not well enough to attend court the following month.

However, on the same day the letter was requested John was seen at the Northern Social Club in Ashington, Northumberland, watching an Elvis Presley tribute act and posing for pictures with pints of Guinness.

The following day, he was captured on video at the same venue watching a Newcastle United football match.

"He is alert and he is able to pose for a photograph, just three weeks before his first [fitness to plead] assessment," the prosecutor told the judge.

In April 2024 - one month after the trial of facts was held - the act began to unravel, the court heard.

As the siblings made their way to a psychiatric assessment at their solicitors in Blyth, a detective saw John sitting upright in a wheelchair talking to his brother.

CCTV played to the court showed him "sat up and alert" but then his "demeanour changed" as he came into view of the solicitor's office.

In July of that year, a day before another court assessment, John was captured walking outside his property. Around three hours later, James called NHS 111 and told the operator his brother had gone immobile and had become mute.

That same day he was transferred to the Bluebell Rehabilitation Unit "at the taxpayers' expense" and was discharged two weeks later, the court was told.

When John failed to attend court later in July 2024 a warrant was issued for his arrest.

On arrival to the custody suite, he again appeared unresponsive and had his eyes closed, but CCTV footage inside his cell showed him "wriggling in his chair to slide off it" and reaching for a drink once the officer left the cell.

The brothers, of Bolam Drive in Ashington, were both charged with perverting the course of justice on 28 July last year.

John was described as being in a "comatose state" but just a day later he was back in the Northern Social Club getting out of his wheelchair and walking around.

The pair failed to attend Leicester Crown Court and a warrant for their arrest was issued.

On learning of the arrest warrant, James called for an ambulance for his brother and claimed he had fallen unwell on 14 August and could not walk.

The court heard that eight days later John was filmed on CCTV climbing the stairs of Leicester Crown Court on his hands and knees.

He pleaded guilty to all counts the following month.

In mitigation, Jamie Adams said John had learning disabilities, with conditions such as epilepsy and autism, and described him as "a very vulnerable and very disadvantaged human being".

Meanwhile, Nicholas Peacock said James was in a "generationally dysfunctional family who largely survived on the benefits system".