ANTHONY BURNARD AND SHOCKING SEXUAL OFFENSES IN SCARBOROUGH
Anthony Burnard, aged 79, has admitted to sexually assaulting a young girl at a residence in Scarborough.However, his plea includes a significant caveat that was not accepted by the prosecution.
Burnard, formerly known for his charitable work during his time as the landlord of The Trafalgar Hotel, appeared before York Crown Court on a recent Friday for a Newton hearing, a process in which new evidence is reviewed to establish the facts of the case.
During the hearing, a judge was presented with fresh evidence concerning the incident to determine the precise details of what transpired on the night in question.
The retired pub landlord, colloquially known as Tony, arrived at the court in a wheelchair accompanied by friends and family members.
His health conditions prevent him from sitting in the courtroom's dock, so he was seated in his wheelchair beside a dock officer instead.
Previously, Burnard had confessed to one count of sexually assaulting a girl under the age of 13 at an earlier hearing, leading to the case being adjourned for a trial of issue.
This additional hearing was necessary to establish the extent of his culpability, which in turn would influence the severity of his potential sentencing.
Details of the evidence revealed that Burnard, who resides on Trafalgar Street West, admitted to having touched the girl inappropriately, but he claimed this was limited to outside her clothing.
The young victim, whose identity is protected by law, maintained that Burnard had touched her on an intimate part of her body after pulling down her trousers.
The court was shown footage from a police interview conducted with the girl in June of this year.
The girl recounted that just before the assault, Burnard had said to her, "I want to talk to you about something." She explained that he then asked her to get into bed with him and told her, "Come here and lie next to me." Complying with his request, she said she did as instructed, after which Burnard touched her in an intimate area.
The girl added, "I said, ‘Don’t,’" but Burnard responded, “Okay,” and resumed watching television, indicating no further immediate actions.
Burnard's version of events claimed he had only patted the girl’s belly and that any accidental touching of her intimate area was unintentional.
When questioned about whether he had pulled her trousers down before the incident, he responded, “No, definitely not.” He further acknowledged that her trousers were down when she left the bed but insisted he was unsure how this had occurred.
Burnard expressed remorse, stating, “I’m sorry (for) whatever has happened.
I’ve been misconstrued.
In all sincerity, whatever I did, I didn’t mean to do it.
It was taken out of context by (the police) and everybody else.” Burnard, who spent over five decades working in the licensed trade before his retirement, shared that he has been suffering from severe health issues recently, including two broken backs and surgery following an aortic aneurysm.
Despite his health problems, the court proceedings continued.
During questioning by the prosecution’s representative, Matthew Collins, Burnard was asked whether he believed it was acceptable to be lying in bed with a girl under the age of 13.
He responded, “Not really, no.” When the prosecutor suggested that Burnard’s actions might suggest sexual arousal, he denied this firmly, stating, “No, that’s not right.” His defense lawyer, Rob Stephenson, highlighted Burnard’s previously unblemished record, emphasizing that his life had been largely free of any prior criminal conduct.
The lawyer also mentioned there were “issues” with the girl’s evidence, implying questions about its reliability.
The presiding judge, Simon Hickey, noted that it was remarkable that Burnard, at his age and with no prior convictions, was standing accused of such conduct.
Despite this, the judge underscored that the evidence clearly indicated that Burnard had pulled the girl’s trousers down, confirming this as a critical element of the case.
The judge expressed no hesitation in concluding that the defendant had indeed lowered the girl’s trousers before sexually assaulting her.
As a result, Burnard’s sentencing was postponed until January 7, with bail granted until that date.
The judge announced that Burnard would appear via video link from Doncaster Crown Court—facilities that accommodate his needs—at the upcoming sentencing hearing in York.
