Source: West Yorkshire Police published on this website Tuesday 25 February 2026 by Jill Powell
A woman at the centre of systematic abuse at a children’s home in Halifax has been convicted.
Linda Brunning, aged 66, of Sowerby Bridge, Calderdale, stood trial at Bradford Crown Court facing five charges, one count of indecent assault on a male person, two counts of aiding and abetting indecent assault and two counts of aiding and abetting buggery.
On Monday 23 February, she was found guilty of all five charges.
Malcolm Phillips, aged 93, of Tyseley, Birmingham, was also charged with one count of indecent assault on a male person, two counts of aiding and abetting indecent assault and two of aiding and abetting buggery but was deemed unfit to stand trial and so faced a trial of facts. The Judge is still to make orders in respect of Philips.
As Phillips was deemed unfit for trial, he could only be tried in absentia on what is known as ‘agreed facts’. In a trial of agreed facts there are only a limited number of orders available to a Judge. There can be no verdict of guilty, and the court cannot pass sentence.
The convictions follow investigations carried out by West Yorkshire Police into abuse, both physical and sexual, which occurred from the 1970s to the 1990s at Skircoat Lodge Children’s Home. The home was established to provide temporary accommodation and a place of protection for children who were the subject of care orders. Children, aged four to 16, were placed there for their own safety. Philips was employed by Calderdale Social Services as its manager and principal from 1976 with Brunning as his assistant from 1978.
Over two decades, the pair created a regime of fear and violence, avoiding detection for their abhorrent crimes because no one dared speak out against them. After staff started to speak up, Calderdale Social Services asked the NSPCC to investigate the practices at the home in 1994 resulting in Phillips being suspended and Brunning being moved.
The home closed in 1996 and two years later West Yorkshire Police launched an investigation resulting in a trial which led to three men being convicted. This prompted further victim-survivors to come forward reporting sexual offences and physical abuse while at Skircoat Lodge. An investigation launched in 2018 focused on both male and female victims who reported offences taking place between 1976 and 1994.
The trial focused on six victim-survivors and followed a meticulous investigation by a dedicated team of officers who worked closely with them to record their accounts including:
- Reviewing more than 3,500 documents, some over 1,000 pages long
- Speaking to over 1,100 individuals, including victim-survivors and witnesses
- Examining third party material, social care records, and the material from the original 1998 investigation.
Some suspects named in victim-survivor accounts were initially unidentified, which added further time and complexity.
Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Claire Smith of Calderdale District Police, said:
“We would like to thank the victim-survivors for the tremendous bravery they have shown in coming forward and sharing their experiences with the police, leading to this conviction.
“They endured abhorrent abuse at the hands of people who were entrusted and paid to care for them, in a place that should have been safe. As children, they were made to feel powerless, told that no one would believe them and that speaking up would put them in danger. After years of carrying that fear, their voices have finally been heard. No child should ever be faced with what these children had to endure, and I want to highlight the sheer courage and determination held by those who came forward to report this abuse.
“The investigation has been an extensive and lengthy process, which encountered challenges and delays along the way, but the investigation team have been relentless in doing all they could to secure justice.
“I also want to thank the many witnesses who, alongside the victim-survivors, came forward to share their accounts in support of the investigation. Their willingness to stand in court and describe the stringent environment within the home, as well as the power held over the children and staff, has been invaluable.
“We accept opportunities have been missed in the past to protect victims of child sexual exploitation and abuse but have taken this learning and used it to develop strong partnerships and better working practices with other agencies. We want to assure people that these crimes have not gone unpunished, and those responsible have been held to account. Above all, we hope the victims feel that their voices have been heard and that a measure of justice has been achieved.
“Since the publication of the Jay report in 2014, West Yorkshire Police has taken a proactive stance in exploring previous incidents and disclosures relating to non-recent group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse.
“This has resulted in in hundreds of perpetrators now serving lengthy prison sentences totalling thousands of years. Many investigations are still underway, with trials scheduled throughout this year and next.
“Alongside our complex investigative work, we’ve shaped our policing response through working with survivors, charities, and safeguarding partners. We also work closely with the national Hydrant Programme to continually review and develop our approach, ensuring victims and survivors are at the forefront of everything we do.”
“We would encourage anyone who has suffered child abuse and exploitation to come forward and report it to us. No matter the length of time passed, you will be listened to, believed, and we will do all we can to fight for justice.”
