DAVID LEYLAND FROM MIDDLESBROUGH SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL OFFENCES IN DURHAM

In a case that has sent shockwaves through the Middlesbrough community, David Herbert Leyland, a 42-year-old man known locally by some as Nathan, was formally sentenced to over nine years in prison for a series of heinous sexual crimes. The offences, which spanned over a decade from 1993 to 2005, took place across County Durham and Middlesbrough, highlighting a disturbing pattern of abuse that has left a lasting impact on the victims involved.

Leyland appeared before Durham Crown Court yesterday, where he pleaded guilty to a total of 14 sexual offences. These included serious charges such as indecent assault, making a child commit gross indecency, and rape of a girl under the age of 16. The court was also informed that Leyland admitted to possessing and making indecent images of children, with 16 counts of the former and one of the latter, all discovered at his residence in 2005.

Prosecutor Anne Richardson detailed the horrific nature of the abuse, revealing that Leyland repeatedly forced a young girl to dress in a blue silk dress and adult underwear, which he kept in a bag. The court heard that the assault inflicted such trauma that the victim broke down in tears and later attempted to take her own life. The gravity of the offences was underscored by the fact that some of the abuse involved a girl as young as eight years old.

When Leyland was arrested in October of the previous year, he initially denied all allegations, dismissing them as products of an “active imagination.” Despite the evidence against him, he claimed he would not change his testimony and described himself as one of the “softest, kindest people,” expressing embarrassment over the charges. During the police raid, Cleveland Police found a disturbing collection of images on his computer—120 in total—of children, with ten classified as level four, indicating the most severe category of child exploitation material.

Leyland’s defense, presented by Peter Makepeace, painted a picture of a man from an “incredibly dysfunctional family,” battling chronic alcoholism and depression. The mitigation argued that Leyland now lives in fear and is overwhelmed with remorse, especially given the public knowledge of his crimes within the community. Makepeace emphasized that Leyland has had to confront his actions in the harsh light of day, suggesting a man deeply affected by his past.

Judge Tony Lancaster delivered the sentence, condemning Leyland for his “very serious offending” and describing his actions as a gross breach of trust. The judge stated, “You placed your own sexual gratification over the interests of a child,” and sentenced him to nine years and four months in prison. Additionally, Leyland was disqualified from working with children, placed under a sexual offences prevention order, and registered on the sex offenders’ register for life, ensuring strict monitoring and restrictions moving forward.