Latest news with #RichardBurrows
CBC
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBC
Open Ears Festival weekend line up features global artists, unique experiences
The Open Ears Festival is back! It's a unique festival of music, lights and experiences. The festival's artistic director, Richard Burrows, spoke to CBC K-W's Aastha Shetty about what to expect for this weekend's lineup.
The Sun
30-04-2025
- The Sun
Serial paedo who spent 27 years on run using stolen identity is jailed for 46 years after abusing 24 young boys
A SERIAL paedo who spent 27 years on the run has been jailed for 46 years after abusing 24 young boys. Richard Burrows, 81, carried out his depraved crimes across Cheshire West Midlands and West Mercia between 1968 and 1995. 3 3 The former Scout leader fled to Thailand in 1997, which he described as "living in paradise", after he was initially charged with sex offences. Burrows remained on the run for 27 years - evading cops despite numerous appeals and four national Crimewatch appeals. He was eventually snared at Heathrow last March after he left Thailand following a cancer diagnosis. Police using AI had managed to track Burrows down to Phuket where he had been living under an alias stolen from a terminally ill pal. Burrows will now die behind bars after he was today jailed for 46 years for a string of child sex offences. Sentencing, Recorder of Chester Judge Steven Everett said: "You are a despicable man. You have ruined countless lives. "These serious sexual assaults were committed by you because you are a predator. 'You deliberately positioned yourself among groups and communities to get closer to them, and to groom and sexually abuse young boys." Chester Crown Court heard the prolific paedo committed his vile crimes while he was a housemaster looking after vulnerable children at Danesford Children's Home in Congleton. His victims in the West Midlands and West Mercia areas were abused between 1968 and 1995 - mainly through local Scout groups where Burrows worked as a leader. In each case, the fiend befriended the victims using his position of trust. Burrows was found guilty of 54 offences including indecent assault of boys, buggery, attempted buggery and indecency with a child. He pleaded guilty to another 43 offences including indecent assault, making indecent images of children, possession of indecent images of children and four counts of possession of false identity documents with intent. Detective Inspector Eleanor Atkinson, who had led the investigation, said: "Burrows is a coward, he knew he was guilty in 1997, but rather than face the consequences of his actions, he fled the country after fraudulently obtaining a passport using the identity of an unwell man. 'He spent the last 27 years, in his own words, 'living in paradise'. It is clear that he did not spare a thought for his victims, who were trying to live their lives under the shadow of the abuse they had suffered. 'It is my belief that Burrows hoped, on his return to the UK after so many years, that his offending might have been forgotten about. 'However, his victims could not forget what he did to them, Cheshire Police did not forget what he had done. 'The sentence handed to Burrows today will likely see Burrows spend the rest of his life in prison and I hope that this outcome finally provides the victims with some closure." 3
Daily Mirror
30-04-2025
- Daily Mirror
Prolific paedophile's vile cover story after waking young boys in middle of the night
Richard Burrows issued a vile story to cover up his abuse of young boys, though he has finally been brought to justice after spending nearly three decades on the run in Thailand. Between 1968 and 1995, Burrows used his position as a scout leader and children's home boss to target 26 'vulnerable boys' as young as 10. Now aged 81, he has been sentenced to 46 years in prison. Burrows was finally arrested at Heathrow Airport in March last year when he ran out of money and was forced to return from Thailand. It marked the end to almost three decades on the run after Burrows became one of the UK's most wanted fugitives when he fled the country after he was arrested at his home in Birmingham in 1997. Paedophile scoutmaster who went on the run for 27 years finally snagged thanks to AI Burrows fled to Thailand under the name of Peter Leslie Smith after cloning an acquaintance's identity, which he used to obtain a passport. Although various appeals on the BBC's Crimewatch programme resulted in more accusers coming forward, detectives were unable to track him down. That was until 2023 when officers made a breakthrough. Using specialist software to search for possible images of Burrows, they came across a man who was living in Phuket under the name Peter Smith. Following this, Burrows was eventually arrested when he attempted to re-enter the UK in March 2024. 'He was arrested when he attempted to re-enter the UK on 28th March 2024 on the eve of his 80th birthday, having enjoyed 27 years in 'paradise', to quote his description of where he had spent his time on the run,' Prosecutor Mark Connor KC told the jury. He had previously admitted 43 offences and denied 54 others, which jurors convicted him of at Chester Crown Court last month. The court heard how Burrows had used his positions of trust and responsibility 'to satisfy himself sexually' by abusing young boys. Police said some of the abuse would occur at night in toilets when he would wake up boys from their sleep under the guise that he was preventing them from wetting the bed. Speaking outside court following last month's verdict, Det Insp Eleanor Atkinson, who led the investigation, said: 'He systematically abused his victims, specifically targeting vulnerable boys in order to fulfil his own sexual gratification. 'Following his initial charges in 1997, Burrows knew he was guilty but rather than face the consequences of his actions, he acted like a coward and fled the country using a stolen identity taken from an unwell man. In emails that we have found since his arrest, Burrows described how he has spent the past three decades 'living in paradise', while his victims have all been left to suffer as they struggled to try and rebuild their lives. 'Thankfully, following our determination, he has finally been held accountable for his actions and is now behind bars where he belongs. It was clear throughout his trial that he did not feel remorse and had not thought at any point while living abroad about the impact his abuse had on his young victims. 'While his victims will never be able to forget what happened to them, I hope that the fact that Burrows has now been held accountable will finally provide them with some closure. Sadly, four of his victims have now passed away and so did not get to see justice served. I also hope that this case acts as a warning to any other wanted suspects – demonstrating that no matter how long you hide, we will find you and you will be held accountable.'
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Yahoo
Britain's worst paedophile will die in prison
A paedophile scout leader who spent 27 years on the run using a stolen identity has been jailed for 46 years for numerous sexual offences against young boys. Richard Burrows, 81, systematically abused 24 boys across the Cheshire, West Midlands and West Mercia areas between 1968 and 1995. In emails found after his eventual arrest, Burrows described 'living in paradise' from 1997 after he fled to Thailand. Earlier that year, he had been charged with several historical sex offences and was bailed but failed to attend a plea hearing at Chester Crown Court in December 1997. Attempts to locate him included several police appeals and four Crimewatch appeals on national television. In April 2023, detectives from Cheshire Police's serious and organised crime unit used specialist software to search for any possible images of Burrows online, which uncovered a match for a man using the name of Peter Smith who was living in Chalong in Phuket, Thailand. Detectives discovered Burrows had stolen the name from an acquaintance who was terminally ill, which allowed him to fraudulently obtain a genuine passport and leave the country without detection. Plans were underway to extradite him when he flew into Heathrow Airport after he ran out of money and was diagnosed with cancer. Burrows was swiftly arrested on arrival last March. He was charged with further offences in Cheshire, the West Midlands and West Mercia which had been reported after he disappeared. Last month, Burrows was found guilty by a jury at Chester Crown Court of 54 offences including indecent assault of boys, buggery, attempted buggery and indecency with a child. He pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to another 43 offences including indecent assault, making indecent images of children, possession of indecent images of children and four counts of possession of false identity documents with intent. His offending in Cheshire took place between 1969 and 1971 while he was employed as a housemaster looking after vulnerable children at Danesford Children's Home in Congleton. His victims in the West Midlands and West Mercia areas were abused between 1968 and 1995, the majority through local Scout groups where Burrows worked as a leader. In each case he befriended the victims by using his position of trust. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Yahoo
Paedophile jailed after nearly 30 years on the run
A paedophile who spent nearly three decades on the run, leaving his victims to suffer, has been jailed for 47 years. Richard Burrows, 80, formerly of Birmingham, was convicted of 54 child sex abuse charges and admitted 43 more at Chester Crown Court in March. The court heard he abused 24 boys, some as young as nine, while a housemaster at a Cheshire boarding school and through involvement with scouts in the West Midlands between 1968 and 1995. The jury heard one of his accusers told police he "hated" the abuse, which would happen as much as two to three times per week, but said he "could do nothing about it", adding "I was frightened and young". This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version. You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.
