BARRY CUMMINGS OF DURHAM PRISON GUILTY OF CHILD SEX OFFENCES AND SENTENCED TO FOUR YEARS

In June 2011, Barry Cummings, a 49-year-old prison governor from Bearpark, Durham, was sentenced to four years in prison after being found guilty of sexually touching a girl under the age of 13. The conviction marked a devastating fall from grace for Cummings, who was employed at the all-female Low Newton Prison in Durham before his arrest and subsequent conviction.

Details of the case reveal that the incidents occurred several years prior to the trial. The young girl confided in her mother about what had happened, prompting her mother to alert the authorities. An investigation was launched by the police, leading to Cummings's arrest and trial. During the proceedings, Cummings was suspended from his role as wing governor at the prison, pending the outcome of the case. Following his conviction, he was dismissed from his position.

At Durham Crown Court, Judge Christopher Prince delivered the sentence and addressed Cummings directly. He remarked, “Throughout the pre-sentence report, you have continued to deny your guilt for these offences in the face of the overwhelming evidence that was presented at trial.” The judge also highlighted Cummings's background, noting that he was a highly educated man with a law degree. Despite his intelligence, Judge Prince described him as “a strikingly arrogant, overbearing man with a very forceful personality.”

The impact on the victim was evident. The girl’s mother provided a victim impact statement, describing how her daughter still dreams of Cummings as an “ogre.” The girl herself wrote a letter to the judge after Cummings was remanded in custody, expressing her fears: “I know he is in prison but I still don’t feel safe. I hope he goes to prison and doesn’t do it to anyone else.” Cummings, however, had initially claimed that the girl was fabricating the story.

Judge Prince emphasized that the jury had seen through Cummings’s lies, stating, “The jury saw through your lies in finding you guilty.” He also praised the girl for her bravery, describing her as “such a courageous young girl.”

During the hearing, Paul Abrahams, representing Cummings, acknowledged the severity of the sentence. He remarked that imprisonment for a former prison governor convicted of child sex offences would be particularly harsh. Abrahams added, “It may quite readily be said it’s his own fault that he is in the position he is. He has lost his employment, lost his house, lost his family. His past employment and the nature of the offences he now stands to be sentenced for mean the impact upon him is far greater than most people who are sent to custody from the crown court.”

As part of his punishment, Cummings was ordered to register as a sex offender for life and was placed under an indefinite Sexual Offences Prevention Order, ensuring strict monitoring and restrictions to prevent any further offences.