Children's home resident 'used as a toy' by abusers including ex-police chief, court hears

A witness in the trial of a former north Wales police officer has described abuse he suffered while at a children's home claiming he was 'passed around like a toy'.

During extensive interviews, the man, a former resident of Bryn Alyn children's home in Wrexham, described how he was bullied by residents, attacked by staff and sexually abused by the home owner John Allen - who is currently serving life for sex offences against children.

The prosecution says that he was taken to various addresses by Allen, where he performed sexual acts with men including a man he later identified as former police chief Gordon Anglesea.

“One fella there, I can’t remember his name, he was a nasty, horrible piece of work, he had like a birth mark on his face and he had glasses, he’s something to do with the police", he said.

The complainant said that he had been threatened.

“He was saying I would never see my parents again, he would send me away, he had the power to send me away, far, far away and I’d never see my family again. I was scum."

Asked how he knew he was something to do with the police, he said “I heard it mentioned. He’s something to do with authority.”

Prosecuting Eleanor Laws QC told the jury that in July last year the complainant had told police that the reason he had been unable to make disclosures about the defendant was that he was still frightened of him, his power, and his connections with authority. He said he had no faith in the police and had issues with authority.

Gordon Anglesea, 78, of Old Colwyn, denies a charge of indecent assault upon the man when he was a child – and two charges of indecent assault and sexual assault on another complainant, between 1982 and 1987, when he was a police inspector who ran an attendance centre at Wrexham.

The trial continues.