Father, 56, jailed for years of sex abuse

Richard Gioserano, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court yesterday the man, now 56, began indecently assaulting the older girl when she was 12 after his marriage had broken down, telling her she needed to know about relationships for the future.

He began by going into her bedroom and touching her as she lay in bed. Later she would wake to find herself in bed with him and he would say she had had a nightmare and so he had taken her in with him although she never remembered any such nightmares.

It became the pattern for him to rub himself against her for his own sexual pleasure. He told her no one would believe her if she reported the incidents.

As well as having to sleep in bed with him the girl became responsible for cooking meals and all the housework.

She remembered his violence towards them, using a belt for discipline, which became known to them as the “elephant belt” because that was the shape of the metal buckle on it.

On one occasion they were made to line up and struck several times on their bare bottoms with it because no one would “own up to something”.

On another occasion the older girl remembered her father threatening to chop off her fingers with an axe because some sugar had gone missing. When no one admitted to taking it they were all made to eat lots of sugar and ended up getting worms.

She eventually ran away when she was 16 and living in Leeds. Mr Gioserano said she felt guilty about leaving the other children behind but “could see no other option”.

It was after that the father turned to the younger sister who was 14. She remembered her father being upset at her older sister going repeatedly playing her favourite record, “I can’t help falling in love with you”.

He was crying and she remembered consoling him – looking back when she was older it was as if he had split from a partner, she said.

She remembered subsequently on another occasion her father drinking, giving her some and then waking up in bed with him sexually assaulting her, which then happened on other occasions.

She too eventually left home. Both girls tried to come to terms with the abuse committed in the 1980s and 90s but eventually the younger girl decided to tell police what her father had done. The older sister was then traced and she too confirmed the abuse.

He claimed to have done his best for the family and said he had been beaten himself as a child.

The father who admitted six sample charges of indecent assault, two of cruelty and one of assault causing actual bodily harm was jailed for a total of seven-and-a-half years.

Sentencing him, the Recorder of Leeds, Judge Peter Collier QC, said the description of the offences was “truly harrowing”.