Care Home 'Regime of Fear': Manager and Assistant Accused of Decades of Child Abuse
A care home manager and his female assistant allegedly subjected multiple children to a harrowing 20-year 'regime of fear', a court has been told. The disturbing allegations centre on Skircoat Lodge Care Home in Halifax, West Yorkshire, where Malcom Phillips, 92, and Linda Brunning, 66, are accused of running the establishment "more like a prison".
Shocking Allegations of Systematic Cruelty
Jurors at Bradford Crown Court heard a catalogue of alleged abuses that created an atmosphere of terror for the vulnerable children in their care. Prosecutors stated the abuse went "unfettered and unreported against a backdrop of legitimacy" for nearly two decades, from the 1970s to the 1990s.
Former staff members provided chilling testimony, describing:
- One boy being pulled through a food hatch by his shirt
- Another child being forced to eat his dinner off the floor
- Phillips allegedly slapping and manhandling children regularly
- Brunning described as a "bully" who would sit on children to intimidate them
The Accused and Their Alleged Crimes
Malcom Phillips faces multiple serious charges relating to six victims – four female and two male – between 1976 and 1994. The charges against him include:
- Three counts of indecent assault
- Two counts of indecency with a child
- Three counts of indecent assault on a male person
- Two counts of buggery
- Two counts of rape
Linda Brunning is charged with aiding and abetting these offences, plus one count of indecent assault on a male person herself. A full trial is proceeding for Brunning, while a trial of facts is being conducted for Phillips, who has been deemed unfit to stand trial due to his age and health.
Former Staff Testify to Daily Cruelty
Jacqueline Tetley, a former support teacher who left in 1990 due to her distress at the treatment of children, described Phillips as outwardly "intelligent and pleasant" but who transformed into "a very strict and dominant person who ruled by fear" when visitors weren't present.
Her statement detailed specific incidents:
- Seeing Phillips attack a girl who had run away, leaving her with a bloodied nose
- Witnessing him "wall children up" by pushing them against walls
- Observing regular slapping and manhandling of vulnerable residents
Regarding Brunning, Tetley described her as "a very large lady who used her size to her advantage" by physically intimidating children. She was allegedly "particularly strict at night", making children stand on cold landings in bare feet for hours if she heard the slightest noise.
A Culture of Fear and Intimidation
The court heard how both accused allegedly intimidated residents and staff alike, creating an environment where abuse could continue unchecked for years. Another former staff member corroborated the food hatch incident, while Tetley revealed Brunning was once suspended after the incident where she made a boy eat from the floor.
"I would say children were treated cruelly at Skircoat Lodge, particularly by Malcolm Phillips and Linda Brunning," Tetley stated in her evidence. "They ran the home more like a prison."
The trial continues at Bradford Crown Court as more evidence is presented about this disturbing case of alleged historical abuse in a care setting that was meant to provide safety and protection for vulnerable children.
