Bow couple guilty of child abuse and indecent assault on five youngsters
The couple were found guilty at Snaresbrook Crown Court. Picture: John Stillwell/PA images - Credit: PA Archive/Press Association Ima
A sadistic couple from Bow have been found guilty of child abuse and indecent assault on five young victims over three decades.
Valerie Stannard, 73, and her husband Roy, 74, of Barge Lane, carried out their depraved acts on their victims, all under the age of 16, during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.
One of them was sexually abused by Roy.
During a four-week trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court, one of their victims broke down twice while giving evidence by video link, and later bravely sat in the public gallery.
But after almost five decades, he still couldn’t bring himself to look at the elderly defendants.
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Another, now 60, said he was finally “strong enough” to tell the police three years ago.
Roy was also found guilty of four counts of indecent assault and two counts of indecency with a child.
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He had asked a girl, when she was 11, if he could “touch her”, before groping her and rubbing his penis on her back. He also asked her to masturbate him.
He was convicted of three further counts of cruelty to a child under 16 but cleared of three more relating to indecent assault on a boy under 14.
During cross-examination, he had told the court: “It was a very different time back then. If you gave cheek, you got a clip around the ear.”
Valerie was found guilty of nine counts of cruelty to a person under 16 and cleared of one count of the same charge.
The Stannards had denied carrying out the attacks which took place in Stoke Newington.
They will be sentenced on May 4.
