Source: Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) published on this website Wednesday 13 May 2026 by Jill Powell

A child abuser who attempted to evade justice by faking severe illness has been sentenced after the Crown Prosecution Service and police combined to prove he was lying about his condition.

John Siddell, 41, from Ashington in Northumberland, abused three young boys under the age of 14 between 2018 and 2021 while he was living in Leicestershire.

The boys, supported by family members, came forward to report the abuse in 2022. Siddell, aided by his brother James, presented in his police interviews as unable to walk or talk. He implied he had suffered a stroke and could therefore not have committed the offences due to his disability.

Siddell continued to present at court and at appointments to assess his fitness to take part in court proceedings in this way, eventually persuading court professionals that he was unfit to take part in a trial.

As is normal in these circumstances, the court heard the evidence in a fact finding hearing and a jury determined on the basis of the evidence from the victims that Siddell had committed the abuse against the victims.

The CPS prosecutor in the case and the detective in charge of the investigations were suspicious of Siddell’s claims, so the CPS offered to provide the court with an additional report to assist with the conclusion of the case.

This report revealed that Siddell was faking his disability and that James Siddell was complicit in the deception.

The CPS reinstated criminal proceedings in relation to the abuse. After investigations by Leicestershire and Northumbria police forces into their claims that Siddell was disabled, the CPS charged both John and James Siddell with perverting the course of justice.

At a trial at Leicester Crown Court, John Siddell was found guilty of the sexual abuse and both were convicted of perverting the course of justice. At Leicester Crown Court on Tuesday 12 May, John Siddell was sentenced to a total of 15 years imprisonment with an extended licence of two years and James Siddell sentenced to 33 months imprisonment. John Siddell was made the subject of a 20-year sexual harm prevention order.

Nicola Potts of the Crown Prosecution Service said:

“While much of the attention in this case will be the lies and antics of the Siddell brothers, at the heart of this are three victims of sexual abuse who had their childhood snatched from them by John Sidell’s cruel manipulation. His cynical lies and the support he received from James was a further insult to these victims.

“Our dedication to giving these victims the justice they deserved has been absolute. These defendants thought they could trick their way out of justice, but John Siddell has been exposed as a cynical, dishonest predator and James Siddell for his complicity in his brother’s criminal activities. They have faced the full force of the law for their vile offending.”

Building the case – exposing lies in court

This case had two significant elements to it. Evidence of the abuse of the three victims was clear. Each gave compelling accounts of the occasions they had encountered John Siddell and the abuse he inflicted on them.

The CPS secured the personal accounts from the victims about what had happened to them using a pre-recorded video interview. The victims were also allowed by the court to be cross-examined on their evidence in a pre-recorded video format. This helped these vulnerable victims give their best evidence without having to do it in a court hearing.

Siddell did not offer an alternative account. Instead of denying the allegation, he refused to respond, pretending he could not move. He attended his interviews in a wheelchair with his head on one side, while James Siddell asserted that he had suffered a stroke and could not have committed the abuse due to his severe mobility issues.

The defendants made this claim to the court, who found Siddell unfit to plead and held a fact-finding hearing. As Siddell was considered unable to take part in criminal proceedings, the court had to consider how to conclude the case and considered either a discharge or a supervision order. The CPS prosecutor and the officer in the case were monitoring the case closely and had suspicions about the truth of the Siddells’ assertions.

When James Siddell put himself forward as John Siddell’s supervisor, the CPS prosecutor and the officer in the case became even more suspicious and believed there could be a risk to future victims if Siddell was not as severely impaired as he claimed. The CPS offered the court to secure an additional report to assist with the suitability of the options open to the court. That report concluded that there was a strong possibility that Siddell was faking his disability.

It is one thing to have suspicions, but proving that a defendant is faking a disability requires a high standard of evidence. The CPS prosecutor and the officer in the case worked together to gather the evidence needed. Statements from people the brothers knew revealed that they were regularly out socialising and interacting with other people.

The prosecution team secured video evidence of Siddell walking and socialising, including footage from his own Ring doorbell of him doing domestic chores, footage of him out socialising at his local working men’s club and a clip of him using his wheelchair to transport household goods.

Police footage showed him adjusting clothing and moving independently when he was in police custody thinking nobody was looking.

On the basis of this evidence, the CPS decided he should face full criminal charges for abusing the victims and that he and James Siddell should be charged with perverting the course of justice.

The attempts at deception continued right up to the trial. Siddell claimed he could not get into court in his wheelchair, so could not get in to his own court hearing. As a response to this further claim, the police secured video footage of him getting into the prison van unassisted that same morning for the prosecution to show the court. He was brought into court and the trial proceeded.

Source: Metropolitan Police published on this website Monday 11 May 2026 by Jill Powell

A mother and her boyfriend have been sentenced to a total of 27 years following the death her young son Kol Page after a Met Police investigation uncovered a raft of evidence to prove they brutally assaulted him.

Detectives saw through the lies told by Zoe Coutts and Scott O'Connor as they blamed the toddler's horrific injuries on his 'clumsiness', before turning on each other in a final effort to avoid justice.

Two-year-old Kol was found by the London Ambulance Service on Monday, 25 April 2022 not breathing, with bruises over his face and a serious injury to his abdomen, caused by a stamp or punch.

He bravely lived on for two more years, before dying aged just four years and three months on Saturday, 29 June, 2024.

Met homicide detectives analysed thousands of messages between Kol's family, CCTV of his killers' movements and carried out extensive interviews to prove that the his injuries came about while he was in the care of Coutts and O'Connor.

The couple were convicted on Wednesday, 25 March at Southwark Crown Court following a four-week trial. They were sentenced on Friday, 8 May.

• Coutts, 35 (11.05.1990), of Crayford, was convicted of allowing the death of a child. She was sentenced to nine years and 109 days in jail.
• O'Connor, 36 (02.02.1990),of Whinchat Road, Thamesmead, was convicted of manslaughter. He was sentenced to an 18-year custodial sentence with a five-year extended sentence.

Detective Chief Inspector Kate Blackburn, whose homicide team led the investigation, said: 

"Kol was an innocent little boy who suffered horrific abuse in the place where he should have been safest - at home with his mother.

"Coutts and her boyfriend, O'Connor, tried to deceive paramedics, doctors and police officers, repeating lie after lie about how Kol came to be so seriously injured.

"It was the tireless work of detectives that exposed the couple's lies, combing through months of messages, appalling pictures and CCTV evidence to uncover the sustained abuse suffered by that little boy.

“I want to thank the first responders who tried to help Kol in a case that has been particularly harrowing for all involved, especially the doctors and nurses who cared for him over such as sustained period of time and his foster carers who gave him immense compassion and safety.

“Kol was boisterous, cheeky and endlessly loving to everyone who knew him. He should have had a bright future, but was instead let down by those who should have protected him most. He will always be remembered.”

In a victim impact statement, Kol's foster parents described how he was so badly injured they initially moved into the hospital to look after him. They said that he loved seeing the emotional support dog and bought him guinea pigs after seeing how he responded to them sitting in his lap.

His foster parents told the court:

 "I immediately fell in love with him. I knew he needed someone to be there for him, to protect him. He was in so much pain. He would cry out in pain so much. You could hear him from the lifts as you walked into the hospital. I knew it was him as he had such a distinctive cry.

"It was so hard to comfort him, I wanted to cuddle him but it would cause him too much pain. But it was nice as the staff would say thank goodness you are here, as when he could hear my voice it would placate him. This meant that I knew he loved me in the same way I loved him.

"I see him as my child; I may not have given birth to him, but I see him as my son. I am blessed to have been able to have looked after Kol for the time I did."

In the early hours of Sunday, 24 April 2022, the day before Kol died, Coutts and O'Connor returned home after spending the night out drinking.

Police were called by London Ambulance Service at 09:44hrs on Monday, 25 April, to Downham Way, Bromley, to reports of a child who was not breathing.

When paramedics arrived, they found Kol without a pulse and with significant bruising to his head and face.

Kol was left with catastrophic brain damage, meaning he needed round-the-clock care. He spent 14 months in hospital before moving to live with his devoted new foster family.

Two years later, on Saturday, 29 June, 2024, he tragically died from his injuries.

Source: Cambridgeshire Police published on this website Tuesday 12 May 2026 by Jill Powell

A man who assaulted his partner numerous times and smashed up her home has been jailed.

Liam Thrower, 32, turned up at the woman’s house in Arbury, Cambridge, at about 6.10am on 2 November last year and punched her as well as taking her phone and house keys.

He also tackled her to the floor and put his arm over her mouth but the victim managed to escape and hide in a bin store until officers arrived.

Thrower also ripped out a cooker and damaged a TV unit.

The victim told officers that between June and October last year, Thrower had smashed her mobile phone, punched her on multiple occasions, grabbed her by the throat, dragged her by her hair and smashed her TV. 

On Friday, 1 May, at Cambridge Crown Court, Thrower, of no fixed address, was jailed for 22 weeks, having pleaded guilty to three counts of criminal damage, three counts of assault by beating and one count of common assault. 

DC Patrick Sopp, who investigated, said: “Thrower subjected his partner to four months of appalling behaviour, with multiple assaults and damaging her property, so it’s great he’s now been brought to justice.”

Source: Church of England published on this website Friday 8 May 2026 by Jill Powell

The first independent audit of the Church of England’s National Safeguarding Team (NST) was published on the 5 May 2026

The audit was carried out by the INEQE Safeguarding Group and commissioned by the Archbishops’ Council, following a recommendation from the National Director of Safeguarding. It assesses the work of the NST against the National Safeguarding Standards.

The report highlights areas of good practice as well as identifying 66 recommendations for further improvement. Some of these relate to the wider Church’s safeguarding structures, while others are specific to the NST.

You can read the full report here.

Areas of good practice

The audit recognises that the NST has undergone significant transformation in recent years and is now a professional national function focused on improving safeguarding practice across the Church of England.

It highlights a strong internal culture, supported by confident leadership and a senior team with a wide range of expertise. Staff reported feeling able to raise concerns and contribute to ongoing development.

The report recognises the significance of the development of the National Safeguarding Standards. These now shape policy, training, supervision and day-to-day practice in churches and cathedrals:

“The National Safeguarding Standards establish a critical framework that constitutes good safeguarding practice. The NST defined and built this collective understanding to support parishes, dioceses, and cathedrals locally in developing a consistent, high-quality approach to safeguarding practice and culture.”

The audit also commends the NST’s shift towards safeguarding based on evidence and information, and it states that the casework team’s triage system functions well.

“The audit saw evidence of good practice by the NST, with caseworkers effectively receiving referrals, collating information and analysing cases. There was evidence of escalation to senior managers as appropriate, swift triage and allocations being accompanied by a written brief from the casework manager.”

Recommendations and next steps

The audit identifies several areas where further work is needed to strengthen safeguarding arrangements. These include:

• improving communication around survivor participation

• strengthening feedback mechanisms with dioceses and cathedrals

• clarifying the circumstances in which the National Director of Safeguarding can intervene in local cases

• developing specialist HR safeguarding expertise

• ensuring resilience and contingency planning for case management systems

• further developing national safeguarding training and learning infrastructure

The NST will now consider the recommendations in detail and set out how these will be taken forward.

Alexander Kubeyinje, the National Director of Safeguarding, said:

“As the National Director of Safeguarding for the Church of England, I approach this vital work not just as a leader, but as a registered social worker. I view everything we do through a steadfast, safeguarding-first lens.

“Critically, the Church must confront the uncomfortable truth: victims and survivors have been let down. We cannot simply move past these failures; we must own them, address them head-on, and ensure that the lived experience of survivors informs how the church reforms and rebuilds.

“Real change requires the courage to look in the mirror. It demands deep reflection and the willingness to improve. That is why I commissioned the independent safeguarding audit of the NST.

“The report rightly recognises the significant transformation the NST has undergone in recent years. We have introduced National Safeguarding Standards, developed an intelligence-led research and evaluation function, and embedded greater survivor participation into our core processes. These are vital steps forward on our improvement journey.

“However, the report is unequivocally clear: there is still work to be done. We must urgently strengthen the NST’s operational independence so that safeguarding is delivered with the clarity, authority, and unwavering consistency that is rightfully expected of a national body.

“I will now work alongside the Archbishops’ Council to consider the audit’s recommendations in their entirety and, where appropriate, deliver the structural changes necessary to reinforce operational independence across the Church.

“My commitment to victims and survivors, to our dedicated volunteers and staff, and to all who worship in our churches, is absolute: we will use this audit as a catalyst to accelerate our improvement journey. We will not rest until the Church of England is unequivocally a safer place for everyone.”

• Watch the National Director of Safeguarding’s response

• Watch the Lead Bishop for Safeguarding’s response

About the audit

The audit included:

• 68 engagement sessions involving 96 individuals

• Analysis of 950 documents

• 222 survey responses from victims and survivors, NST staff, and those working across dioceses and cathedrals

• Seven focus groups and a confidential contact process

Support information

If you or anyone you are in contact with is affected by the publication of this report and would like to talk to someone independently, please call the Safe Spaces helpline on 0300 303 1056 or visit safespacesenglandandwales.org.uk.

Alternatively, you may wish to contact the National Safeguarding Team at safeguarding@churchofengland.org.