ANTHONY ALLEN SENTENCED TO 11 YEARS IN DUKINFIELD FOR CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE

In December 2008, Anthony Allen, 67, of Nicholson Square, Dukinfield, was sentenced to 11 years in prison after being convicted of repeatedly abusing and raping his own daughter over three decades ago. The Crown Court judge described his actions as "as serious as offences could be, for a father on his daughter." Allen’s heinous crimes were committed when his daughter, Candice, was between six and 13 years old. Candice, now 44 and married, chose to waive her right to anonymity and provided a statement to police, saying, "He ruined my life. He has stolen my childhood." During the court proceedings, Mrs. Dinsdale, Candice’s mother, struggled to contain her emotions and sobbed openly as the sentencing was delivered. Outside court, she expressed her anger, stating, "Eleven years isn’t enough. He should have got life. He took mine. This is the best Christmas present I have had in 30 years. He’s an animal and he should have been castrated." The court was told that Allen, while not excusing his conduct, hoped that his daughter might someday forgive him for his "terrible wrongs." Candice responded vehemently, saying, "Never. I can never, ever forgive him, and he deserves everything he has got." She revealed she only felt able to speak about her father's abuse after her mother Patricia died 18 months earlier. Candice explained, "I have waited a long time for this day. The abuse stopped long ago, but the ghosts of my childhood have haunted me. I was betrayed by the one person I should have trusted the most. I kept putting off telling anybody because I was afraid nobody would believe me. But I knew I had to face this to move on and ensure he paid for his crimes." Prosecutor Alaric Bassano explained that the offences occurred between 1970 and 1978 when Candice was aged six to 13, and Allen between 29 and 37. Bassano detailed how Allen breached trust through threats and bribes, and engaged in grooming. Many offences took place while Candice’s mother and brother were away or asleep. He described how the abuse escalated from indecent assaults to full rape, with Allen telling Candice, "It’s our secret," and demanding she remain silent. His initial attempted rape at age 10 caused Candice to squeal in pain, prompting Allen to silence her by covering her mouth and leaving cash on her dressing table—an act he repeatedly did thereafter. Initially, Allen used a condom but later suggested to his wife that their daughter should go on the pill. The court heard that the abuse only ended after Patricia became aware and tried to protect her daughter. Candice was so affected by the trauma that she was placed in care after running away. When returned home, Allen threatened to kill her if she reported the abuse to social services. Candice has suffered from depression, difficulty forming relationships with men, and ongoing counseling. Defense barrister Richard Vardon noted that Allen didn’t want to minimize his actions but acknowledged that Allen had been aware of his imminent arrest for some time. Allen, who remarried around 20 years earlier, pleaded guilty to charges of indecent assault, attempted rape, and rape. Judge Geake sentenced Allen, stating, "You were Candice’s father, yet you sexually abused her persistently throughout her childhood from the age of six to 13. The fact that these crimes occurred some thirty years ago does little to diminish their severity. She has had to endure terrible memories ever since." Allen had to be brought into court by police after claiming to be under the influence of drugs on the day of sentencing. The judge emphasized that these were offenses that inevitably lead to a reckoning, remarking, "You sought to avoid the inevitable but it has finally come." In addition to his prison term, Allen was ordered to register as a sex offender for life and was permanently banned from working with children upon release. Detective Constable Kath McKenzie, who first interviewed Allen in May, commented, "Speaking up was a very brave thing for Candice to do. The length of time it took her to report this demonstrates the powerful hold that Allen, this abusive bully, had over her." She added, "This case underscores the importance of reporting sexual abuse, no matter how much time has passed."