Locations
Swindon Road, Stratton St Margaret, SN3
Description
THE family of a dementia suffering great grandmother set up covert CCTV in her flat because they thought her carer was stealing from her.
But when they saw the footage they were shocked to find Andy Newman was sexually abusing the 86-year-old widow.
The old lady's granddaughter fitted a motion sensor camera in the hope of catching the 48-year-old taking her food and money.
But when she got an alert on her iPhone she was stunned to see Newman carrying out a series of sex acts on her elderly gran.
The mum said: "I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I was wondering if I was seeing things. I wasn't expecting that.
"I couldn't sleep for three days after that, I had to go to the doctors. I was mortified."
And her uncle added: "We didn't really like the bloke but we didn't think anything like that was going on. We thought he was stealing, but not that.
"No one has ever really liked him but my mum did and he was good at talking to her. She wouldn't hear a word against him. He was very charming to her."
He said after Newman was arrested his mum was in tears after wondering when he was going to come back as the dementia meant her short term memory had gone.
Philip Warren, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court how the former neighbour became a carer for the victim after she was widowed in 2004.
Well before he was caught in December 2015 he started visiting to help with domestic chores including washing her hair.
Worried about missing money and food the family set up the covert camera in the house which caught him out.
When he was arrested on suspicion of rape Newman told cops 'I have done nothing wrong', and 'I am her carer'.
In a statement to police he said 'I believe these allegations to be false due to her dementia/mental condition', which Mr Warren said showed he knew about it.
When his computer was searched it not only uncovered a vast amount of 'granny porn' but also some indecent images of children and one of bestiality.
Newman, of Swindon Road, Stratton St Margaret, admitted sexual activity with a person with a mental impairment impeding choice, having indecent images of a child and extreme pornography.
He claimed that about six years before the offending he had been in a sexual relationship with the woman, which her family say they do not believe.
Gareth James, defending, said: "He is clearly a man who has some sort of predilection towards older women."
He said his client, who had taken an overdose before an earlier hearing, accepted he was facing a lengthy jail term.
Sentencing him to ten and a half years in prison Judge Tim Mousley QC said: You know what you did on December 21, 2015, was completely disgraceful.
"She was unable to make an informed decision and that must have been as blindingly obvious to you as it was to everyone else.
I accept it was not your intention that anyone else should see what was going on but the fact is her grandchildren, at least, saw what was going on by seeing it on the camera.
The effect on them as well as the effect on the victim is profound and long lasting. That I regard as a particular feature of this which adds to your culpability.
Newman must also register as a sex offender for life, will be barred from working with children or vulnerable people and must abide by a sexual harm prevention order restricting his liberty.