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Jury Finds Ex-Skircoat Lodge Manager Abused Children as Deputy Is Convicted

Findings followed a trial of the facts after Malcolm Phillips was ruled unfit to stand trial.

Overview

  • A Bradford Crown Court jury determined Malcolm Phillips committed sexual offences against six victims from 1976 to 1994, conduct prosecutors said went “unfettered and unreported.”
  • Assistant Linda Brunning, 66, was convicted of aiding offences, including restraining a boy for Phillips to assault and indecently assaulting another child.
  • Brunning was remanded ahead of sentencing on April 27, with the judge indicating she would receive a custodial sentence.
  • West Yorkshire Police’s 2018 reinvestigation into reports from former residents led to the case, and the senior investigating officer publicly thanked survivors for their testimonies.
  • Calderdale Council issued a formal apology following the verdicts and said current safeguarding, oversight and staff vetting have been overhauled since the home’s closure.