JOHN PIERCY'S HORRIFIC CHILD SEX ABUSE IN HAXBY AND YORK CROWN COURT

In December 2014, a disturbing case of child sexual abuse culminated in the sentencing of John Piercy, a 69-year-old man from Haxby, who was found guilty of heinous acts committed against three young children over a span of several years. The victims, all under the age of nine, endured repeated assaults by Piercy, with the youngest victim being only five years old at the time of the abuse.

York Crown Court heard that Piercy, a married father of two, had initially denied the charges a year prior, citing feelings of embarrassment and shame. However, he later pleaded guilty to six counts of sexual assault of a child under 13. The court was told that the physical and emotional harm inflicted upon the children was severe, and the court was shown evidence of the injuries sustained during the assaults.

Piercy, who resided on Elder Grove in Haxby and was formerly from Stockton-on-the-Forest, appeared in court dressed in a suit. Throughout the proceedings, he was visibly shaken, trembling uncontrollably as he sat in the dock. The judge, The Recorder of York, Judge Stephen Ashurst, delivered a stern sentence, condemning Piercy to four years in prison. In his remarks, Judge Ashurst emphasized the gravity of the case, stating, “You are 69 years of age and in court in poor health and in disgrace. If ever a case involved the damage of children by the sexual abuse of an adult, this is one. The fall-out for the concerned has been damaging and distressing. I cannot avoid sending you to prison. To do otherwise would be to underplay the seriousness of your behaviour.”

The impact on the victims' families was profound. One mother, whose child was among those abused, expressed her relief at the sentence, saying, “The sentence was correct and on the money. I wish he had pleaded guilty a year ago and not put us through a year of hell. It’s been the worst possible year of my life. It has been so dark and had an effect on all our health, both psychologically and physically.”

Detective Constable John Atkinson of North Yorkshire Police’s Protecting Vulnerable Persons Unit commented on the case, describing the offences as “horrible crimes against vulnerable victims who were not in a position to resist.”

Following the allegations, Piercy left a series of suicide notes addressed to his wife at their home, with messages such as “goodbye my love, it’s over.” One of the notes included his mobile phone number, and when relatives attempted to contact him, he falsely claimed to be at Castle Howard. Judge Ashurst noted that Piercy’s remorse appeared to be self-centered, stating, “You now feel extremely sorry for yourself and have been struggling to come to terms with yourself, and it’s not surprising you have made threats to take your own life. All of that has no doubt compounded the distress of your wife who has stood by you.”

As part of his sentence, Piercy was ordered to serve half of his four-year term in prison, with the remaining two years on licence. Additionally, he was placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely and was prohibited from residing in the same house as children under 16, reflecting the seriousness of his crimes and the ongoing risk he poses to the community.