ANTHONY PURKIS FROM CALNE JAILED FOR CHILD ABUSE IN SWINDON AND CHIPPEHAM

In June 2005, Anthony Purkis, a former lorry driver from Calne, was sentenced to prison after admitting to a series of disturbing sexual offenses involving young children. The court heard that Purkis, aged 56 at the time, had committed multiple indecent assaults over a span of nearly a decade, targeting three different victims of both sexes. His actions, which took place in various locations including Calne, Swindon, and Chippenham, have left a trail of distress and trauma.

Judge John McNaught presided over the case at Swindon Crown Court. He acknowledged that while the individual offenses might not have been among the most severe, the fact that they involved three separate children, each of different genders, and occurred over a lengthy period, significantly worsened the gravity of the crimes. The court was informed that Purkis had a history of abusing children, with incidents stretching from the early 1990s to July 2000.

Prosecutor Lynne Matthews detailed the case, revealing that one of Purkis’ victims was approximately 14 years old when the abuse began. This girl, who was the daughter of a friend of Purkis’s wife, used to babysit for his children during the early 1990s when he was residing in Calne. She would often stay overnight after babysitting, but upon her parents’ return, Purkis would attempt to carry out sexual acts. The girl recounted to police that she babysat regularly between 1992 and 1994, during which Purkis tried three times to put his hand under her pyjama bottoms while she was asleep. On a fourth occasion, he succeeded. The girl described how she left the house immediately after Purkis went upstairs to bed, walking three miles home in the early hours of the morning.

Another victim, a girl aged ten in the summer of 2000, also came forward. She reported that Purkis had touched her inappropriately at a local social club. Her friends witnessed the incident after she confided in them about what Purkis had asked her to do. A third victim, a boy aged around eight or nine in the early 1990s, also disclosed that he had been indecently assaulted by Purkis. When questioned by police, Purkis, who was living on High Street, Marshfield, Chippenham, dismissed the allegations as “absolute rubbish.”

Despite his denials, Purkis pleaded guilty to three counts of attempted indecent assault and one count of indecent assault on the first girl, along with two indecent assaults on the second girl and three on the boy. His defense lawyer, Sue Evans, highlighted that her client was a man of previously good character who lived alone at the time. She pointed to a pre-sentence report from the probation service indicating that Purkis was suitable for participation in a community-based sex offenders’ program. Evans emphasized that Purkis felt remorse for his actions, which she suggested could help prevent future offenses.

She also explained that the offenses occurred during a period when Purkis was drinking heavily due to financial difficulties. The judge, however, emphasized the seriousness of the crimes, stating, “If you look at the individual offences, they are not the most serious that the crown court deals with. What is serious is that it involves three different young people, a boy aged seven, a girl about 13, and another girl aged ten or eleven. That is three children, of different sexes, spanning from the early 1990s to July 2000.”

As part of his sentence, Purkis was ordered to serve a three-year extended license period, during which he will be subject to strict supervision. He was also issued a sexual offences prevention order, which restricts his contact with children, and he is banned from working with children in any capacity. Additionally, Purkis is required to register as a sex offender for the next ten years, ensuring ongoing monitoring of his activities and whereabouts.