A woman who abused children has been jailed for 15 years.
Cheryl Pickles subjected the children to prolonged physical and emotional abuse over the course of several years, together with her partner, Andrew Hadwin.
The pair were convicted of several counts of child neglect and perverting the course of justice following a seven-week trial which ended in January this year.
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Hadwin was also charged with three counts of rape in relation to non-recent abuse of another child which happened when she was a little girl.
The 39-year-old died in prison on February 2 this year, where he had been remanded ahead of sentencing following his conviction.
Enquiries are currently being carried out to establish the circumstances of his death and a file will be prepared for the Coroner in due course.
The couple’s offending came to light when one of the children bravely disclosed what had happened to her to a trusted adult. An extensive investigation was launched by Durham Constabulary in 2018.
The investigation, which spanned four years and involved more than 150 witnesses, found that Andrew Hadwin and Cheryl Pickles forced children to eat soap, locked them in cupboards, and forced them into boiling hot showers and baths.
The couple would also withdraw their access to food, leaving the children to scavenge for scraps to eat. On one occasion they were found at 4am walking along to a supermarket four miles away to find something to eat.
The pair would also order takeaways and make the children watch them eat while stood in stress positions for long periods of time.
After three days of deliberations, the jury, sitting at Teesside Crown Court, found Hadwin guilty of three counts of rape, seven counts of neglect, and one count of perverting the course of justice.
Pickles was found guilty of five counts of child cruelty and one of perverting the course of justice. She was found not guilty of sexual activity with a child.
Today the 35-year-old, formerly of Bowburn, in County Durham, returned to court where she was sentenced to 12 years for cruelty and three years for perverting the course of justice, to be served consecutively.
Investigative Officer, Detective Constable Kat Pudney, from Durham Constabulary, said: “The children involved in this case have been subjected to unimaginable levels of cruelty and abuse.
“Despite their experiences in their early lives, they have shown bravery and tenacity beyond their years, standing up to their abusers through the judicial process and allowing a jury to see exactly what the couple had done to them.
“One of Hadwin’s victims, who is now an adult, showed him that what he did to her, although having a profound effect on her, was not going to rule her life.
“Pickles will now serve a significant sentence for this abuse.”
She added: “The safeguarding and wellbeing of children is everyone’s business. If you suspect a child is being abused or neglected, please speak out – your actions could save a life."
An NSPCC spokesperson said: “This is a deeply disturbing case involving the neglect and abuse of a number of children by Hadwin and Pickles who intentionally misled police and other professionals while causing unimaginable suffering to the young people in their care.
“We praise the exceptional bravery of one of their victims in speaking out and now hope that everyone involved in this terrible case is receiving the support they need to move forwards with their lives.
“It’s also crucial that everyone does all they can to prevent child abuse and cruelty. "
Anyone who has concerns for a child’s safety should contact the local authorities, the police or the NSPCC Helpline by emailing help@nspcc.org.uk or on 0808 8005000. Children can contact our Childline counsellors on 0800 1111 or through the Childline website.
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