JOHN PHILLIPS FROM YSTRAD JAILED FOR 16 YEARS FOR ABUSE OF MOTHER AND DAUGHTER IN MERTHYR TYDFIL

In December 2012, John Nigel Phillips, a 79-year-old pensioner from Ystrad, was sentenced to 16 years in prison after being found guilty of a series of sexual offenses committed against a mother and her daughter. Phillips, who denied the multiple counts of rape, indecency with a child, and indecent assault, was convicted by a jury of nine men and three women at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court on all charges, with one count previously directed as not guilty by the judge.

Judge Richard Twomlow sentenced Phillips and remarked, “In each of these cases, you groomed young and vulnerable children. You have shown no remorse whatsoever. These offences had a severe and profound effect on both of them.”

During the trial, the mother testified that Phillips, of River Street, Ystrad, exploited her fears of losing everything if she revealed his abuse. She recounted how Phillips assaulted her increasingly over the years, culminating in an incident where he raped her while she walked home through a park during daylight hours.

She described the abuse starting with tickling and touching that escalated to repeated rapes. She told the court, “He told me that I was getting excited and that I was nothing but a slut. It was all very opportunist. He told me that I was enjoying it and I should be pleased he was taking notice of me. He used to blackmail me.”

The victim eventually managed to stop the attacks, after which Phillips offered her money for sex; when she refused, the abuse ceased. She confided in her husband, a family member, and a counselor over the years but chose not to pursue further legal action at that time.

Unbeknownst to her, her daughter, who had confided in her partner in 2003 about her own experiences, was also victimized by Phillips. The daughter waited until 2011 to reveal her abuse, which ultimately prompted the police investigation.

The daughter testified, “For a while I thought it was just a dream. He told me I must not tell anybody because it meant that I was special. He would keep telling me how special I was.”

Phillips, originally from Wales, had left the area but returned a few years later with his wife, who died in 2003.

In his defense, Mary Parry Evans argued that “the man you are sentencing today is not the man who was convicted by the jury,” noting that Phillips' children supported him throughout the trial.

Phillips is required to sign the sex offenders register for life and will serve at least two-thirds of his sentence in prison unless he is considered for early release after serving half.