PUB LANDLORD WHO ABUSED MULTIPLE CHILDREN JAILED FOR 25 YEARS
A sick pub landlord who committed a string of horrific sexual offences has been brought to justice after his victims bravely spoke out against him.Roy Borrowdale appeared at Grimsby Crown Court today (October 23) following a joint investigation with South Yorkshire and Humberside Police after he was convicted of a catalogue of sexual abuse against young girls.
One victim told the court in a powerful victim impact statement how Borrowdale had "waited until I was vulnerable to strip me of my dignity", adding that he made her feel "ashamed and dirty".
She said: "What you did to me has damaged my enjoyment with intimacy, my trust with men and most importantly my relationship with myself.
"Telling me it was my fault; I was responsible and I got what I deserved.
But the only responsible one in that situation was you.
"I’m at peace knowing you’ll suffer for what you have done not only to myself, but to others who were unfortunate in knowing the vile animal you really are." Another of his victims wrote in her statement that Borrowdale "groomed and manipulated" her to the point she was "completely under his control".
She said: "The abuse has clouded a lot of my childhood, and I lost my sense of self and who I was.
This is something I have spent years trying to rebuild and I am still working on every day." Borrowdale was found guilty of eight counts of sexual abuse following a trial.
His crimes included raping a girl under 13, raping a girl aged 13 to 15, assaulting a girl under 13 by touching and five counts of sexual assault on a female.
A jury found him not guilty of raping a woman 16 years of age or over.
A police investigation began in 2018 when one of the 67-year-old's victims bravely came forward to report sexual offences he had committed against her in the early 2010s.
Her testimony led to other victims coming forward as a disturbing trail of abuse emerged.
Officers seized Borrowdale's phone and found incriminating evidence consistent with grooming.
But he denied any involvement, claiming that others had access to his phone while he was working at the pub.
His refusal to own up to his crimes meant his victims were forced to endure a trial and relive the horrors of the sexual assaults and abuse they faced at the hands of Borrowdale.
Borrowdale, of Church Lane, Driffield, East Yorkshire, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison, with an additional 12 months to be served on licence.
He was also given a lifelong sexual harm prevention order.
Officer in charge of the case Detective Constable David Harrison with Humberside Police said: "Borrowdale exploited his young and vulnerable victims, taking advantage of their age and his position as a pub landlord to abuse them for his own sexual gratification.
"By repeatedly denying the offences, he forced a trial, meaning his victims had to relive the horrors of the crimes he committed against them." "I am pleased a jury was able to convict on eight of the nine counts he faced and that a significant custodial sentence has been handed out to him." "None of this would have been possible without the brave testimonies of his victims and I want to thank them for coming forward and telling us about the horrific abuse committed by Borrowdale.
"This was a complex investigation spanning seven years and I hope the passing of this sentence brings them closure and allows them to rebuild and move on with their lives after such an awful ordeal.
"The crimes Borrowdale has been sentenced for were non-recent, and I hope this case shows that it doesn't matter how long ago the offending happened.
We are always here to listen, and we will always strive to secure justice on your behalf." "Please remember that it is never too late to report a sexual offence.
If you have been a victim or you know someone who has been a victim of this crime, please know that we are here to listen to you and support you through every step of the process." "It doesn’t matter if the offences happened five hours or 50 years ago, we take all reports of this nature extremely seriously and will do everything we can to bring offenders like Borrowdale to justice."
