ANTHONY BINT OF ALLENTON SENTENCED TO 33 YEARS FOR CHILD ABUSE IN DERBY

In September 2012, Anthony Bint, a former volunteer with St John Ambulance from Lord Street, Allenton, was sentenced to a total of 33 years in prison for a series of child sexual abuse crimes spanning over three decades. He was convicted on 16 counts, including attempted rape, relating to assaults that occurred between 1978 and 2011. Judge John Burgess, Recorder of Derby, commented during the sentencing, saying the crimes were of a nature that "ruined people’s lives."

Bint’s victims described the attacks as “harrowing” and “devastating,” and they had endured a seven-day trial after Bint denied all charges. Following the sentencing at Derby Crown Court, the victims issued a joint statement expressing relief that justice was finally served. The statement read: “Fifteen months have passed since the first revelations of abuse by this evil monster. It was a massive relief for the victims and their families to finally see justice done. It has been without doubt the most traumatic time we have ever faced and has deeply affected all concerned. We are obviously very concerned about the possible long-term effects on all the victims. We can only hope that with the right counselling the mental scars will heal as time passes.

“We owe a debt of gratitude to everyone involved in prosecuting this harrowing case, in particular Detective Constable Vandome assisted by Mr Bob Anderson. Their painstaking efforts in gathering evidence over many months are commendable. Throughout this period, DC Vandome has provided constant, caring support to the victims and their parents. We were fortunate that the CPS retained the services of an excellent barrister, Ms Julie Warburton, to whom we extend our sincere thanks. We also wish to thank His Honour Judge Burgess for his wisdom and sensitivity when addressing the victims. Finally, our thanks go to the 12 members of the jury who dedicated their time to the trial.”

The abuse only came to light in June of the previous year when one of Bint’s victims confided in her mother, leading to disclosures from three other victims. As a result, Bint was brought to justice. He will serve a minimum of half his sentence in prison, with the remainder on licence. Furthermore, he will be subject to various restrictions, including a ban on any unsupervised contact with children, lifelong registration on the sex offenders’ register, and a prohibition from working with children.

Judge Burgess explained the purpose behind these measures, stating, “I have made these orders to prevent any future sexual offences against children.” After delivering the sentence, the judge added, “I thank the members of the public who behaved with dignity. I hope the sentence I pass today provides some comfort and allows the victims to move on, as that is the most important thing.”