ANDY NEWMAN SHOCKS SWINDON WITH SEXUAL ABUSE OF 86-YEAR-OLD DEMENTIA SUFFERER
The family of an elderly woman living with dementia in Swindon took the drastic step of installing hidden CCTV cameras inside her flat after growing suspicious that her carer might be stealing from her.Their concern was that someone was unlawfully taking her possessions, prompting them to seek surveillance.
However, the footage they recorded revealed a far more disturbing reality.
When the family received an alert on their iPhone indicating motion detection, they reviewed the footage and were left utterly stunned and horrified to see Andy Newman, aged 48, engaged in sexual activity with their 86-year-old grandmother, who was suffering from dementia.
The grandmother’s granddaughter explained her shock and disbelief upon viewing the footage, stating, "I couldn't believe what I was seeing.
I was wondering if I was seeing things.
I wasn't expecting that." The granddaughter further recounted the emotional toll this revelation took on her, saying, "I couldn't sleep for three days after that, I had to go to the doctors.
I was mortified." Her uncle added that they had suspected Newman, but never imagined such conduct was occurring.
"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," he said.
The family admitted a general dislike for Newman, but they also noted that their grandmother was taken in by his charm and was unwilling to believe anything negative about him.
According to the uncle, "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." Following Newman’s arrest, his mother was left devastated; she was seen in tears, distraught and questioning when her son might return home.
Her dementia had impacted her short-term memory, making her particularly vulnerable to Newman’s manipulations.
Prosecutor Philip Warren conveyed to Swindon Crown Court that Newman, a former neighbor of the victim, had become her carer after she was widowed in 2004.
His engagement with her initially involved helping with domestic chores such as washing her hair.
Concerned about missing money and food, the family decided to install the covert CCTV, which ultimately captured Newman’s disturbing actions.
When apprehended on suspicion of rape, Newman insisted to police, “I have done nothing wrong,” and claimed, “I am her carer.” In police interviews, he asserted that the allegations were false due to her dementia and mental condition, a statement prosecutors argued indicated he was aware of her impairments.
His computer was later searched, uncovering a large amount of illegal pornography, including images of children and extreme acts involving animals.
Andy Newman, of Swindon Road, Stratton St Margaret, faced multiple charges including sexual activity with a person with a mental impairment, possession of indecent images of children, and viewing extreme pornography.
He also claimed that approximately six years prior, he had been in a sexual relationship with the victim, a claim her family strongly rejected.
His defense lawyer, Gareth James, acknowledged Newman’s problematic tendencies, stating, “He is clearly a man who has some sort of predilection towards older women.” The lawyer also noted that Newman had previously taken an overdose before an earlier hearing and accepted that he was likely to serve a lengthy prison term.
The judge, Tim Mousley QC, sentenced Newman to ten and a half years in prison.
In his judgment, the judge emphasized the severity of Newman’s misconduct, especially noting that the victim was unable to consent due to her dementia.
"You know what you did on December 21, 2015, was completely disgraceful," the judge declared.
He added that while Newman did not intend for others to see the footage, the fact that grandchildren or others had witnessed it was significantly culpable.
The sentence also mandated that Newman register as a sex offender for life, restricts him from working with children or vulnerable adults, and imposes a sexual harm prevention order designed to limit his liberty and prevent further offending.
