A woman who permitted her paedo partner to sexually assault two young girls was branded "evil to the core" as she received her prison sentence. Paula Lister was even captured in the background of one horrifying video while Melvin Miller recorded himself sexually exploiting his victims.
The judge condemned her for an "inexcusable failure and absolute betrayal". The mother of one of the schoolgirls on Tuesday described her as "a monster in its truest form" and stated: "The tears you've shed in court were not for the girls, but for yourself."
Abuse spanned two and a half years
Liverpool Crown Court heard on Monday afternoon that Lister, from Creswell Street in St Helens, was the partner of Melvin Miller, who was previously sentenced to 16 years in prison for sexually abusing two girls when they were as young as six.
The 51-year-old's crimes were said to have spanned approximately two and a half years. Miller's sexual abuse was exposed when one of his two victims confided in a friend, who subsequently informed a teacher at her school. This revelation led to the police uncovering the largest collection of indecent child images, totalling over 250,000, that an officer had ever come across.
This included footage of him raping the girls, with one particularly abhorrent clip showing him offering one of the young girls a doughnut and chocolate as a "bonus".
Victims' statements read to court
Miller, also from St Helens, later admitted to a series of offences after recording much of this abuse, with Lister visible in the background in one video as one of the girls performed a sex act on her boyfriend.
Nicholas Williams, prosecuting, read a statement to the court on behalf of the two girls, with one having said: "As much as I work on myself, I believe I will never truly forget my trauma or fully forgive those who inflicted them upon me."
The second complainant added in her own statement: "Paula has destroyed my trust in anyone, and she's ruined my childhood. I think Paula is a disgusting person and I hope she gets the punishment she deserves, as she's ruined my life."
Mother's impact statement
The mother of this girl addressed Lister from the witness box, telling the now 55-year-old: "This is probably one of the hardest things I've ever written. This is therapy for a trauma two little girls were subjected to at the hands of you and your partner and has since impacted on so many people."
"It's safe to say we will all be left with the scars of this for the rest of our days. I can't begin to imagine the impact on the other little girl. [My daughter] is our absolute world. Our only job was to love and protect her from bad things in the world, like you and your partner."
"You almost stole that from us. You almost made us feel like we had failed her as parents. Those feelings are fleeting when I see the amazing young woman she has grown to become, despite what she went through. The strength and courage she has shown is immeasurable. You're a monster in its truest form, evil to the core, a predator and cruel. You snatched away part of two little girls' childhoods and innocence, which they can never get back."
"You've shown no remorse for your actions. The tears you've shed in court were not for either of the girls, but for yourself. You cried for you, not what happened to those girls [...] not one word for the trauma they suffered at the hands of your partner."
"The day I received that knock at the door from the police, our world fell apart. We no longer trust anyone, and how could we? Yet we navigated this in a bid to get justice for those two little girls."
"I have thought dark thoughts on far more occasions than I'd like to admit. I felt I'd let my children down and that they might even be better off without me. Despite those dark days, the courage she has shown to speak up in the way she has to reclaim her sense of self and childhood is nothing short of remarkable, and I burst with pride every single day."
"She will forever flourish in this world. You've taken nothing from us, and I won't allow you the satisfaction of a second to think you have. We have a very bright future ahead of us together, safe, full of love, while you're left dealing with the consequences of your choices."
"She will never be your victim. She's been instilled with strength and courage, and I'm privileged to see it daily. She's a warrior and a survivor with a beautiful future ahead of her. At last, we might now sleep sound at night, knowing justice has been served."
Sentencing
Lister was convicted of two charges of child cruelty by a jury after a trial. Appearing by video link from HMP Styal dressed in a black top and spectacles, she could be seen shaking her head with her hand over her face before receiving a 14-year prison sentence.
During sentencing, Judge Neil Flewitt KC stated: "That abuse took place over a period of approximately two-and-a-half years. Much of that sexual abuse was video recorded by Melvin Miller. In one of those videos, you can be seen in the background while [abuse was taking place]."
