ANDREW WELLARD FROM BRETTON, PETERBOROUGH SENTENCED FOR HORRIFIC CHILD ABUSE CASE

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Bretton and the wider Peterborough area, Andrew Wellard, aged 34, has been sentenced to nine years in prison after being found guilty of sexually abusing two young children. The heinous acts, which spanned over several years, involved rape and indecent assault, with Wellard also taking explicit photographs of himself during the abuse, as detailed in court proceedings.

According to the prosecution, led by Aidan Tevlin, the abuse was carried out by Wellard at his residence in Benland, Bretton. The crimes only came to light when the victims, who were children at the time, confided in police officers in July of this year. The young girl, who was one of the victims, provided harrowing testimony, revealing that Wellard had forced her to touch him sexually and had made the other child watch these acts. She also disclosed that Wellard had shown them pornographic films, further traumatizing the children.

Following the disclosures, police arrested Wellard, who subsequently made a statement that corroborated the claims made by the girl. However, during police interviews and court proceedings, Wellard shockingly attempted to shift some of the blame onto the children, claiming that they had initiated the sexual acts and that some incidents had occurred 'by accident.' When questioned about the frequency of his abuse, Wellard responded vaguely, stating, 'it happened when it happened.'

The court was informed that the children suffered severe emotional and psychological trauma as a result of Wellard’s actions. Wellard pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to nine charges, including rape, indecent assault, gross indecency with a child, and taking indecent photographs of children. Judge Nicholas Coleman sentenced him to nine years for the rape charge, with concurrent sentences for the remaining eight counts. Additionally, a restraining order was issued to prevent Wellard from contacting the children once he is released from prison, and he was ordered to be registered on the sexual offenders' register for life.

Judge Coleman condemned Wellard’s actions, stating, “You treated these children as your sexual playthings,” emphasizing the severity of the crimes. The court also heard that prior to the abuse, Wellard had no criminal record but had begun suffering from depression, which his defense counsel, Damian Willatt, suggested contributed to his warped perception of reality. Despite his remorse, Wellard acknowledged the damage he had caused, recognizing that he had destroyed not only his own life but also the lives of the two children involved.