COUPLE WHO RAPED LITTLE BOY TRIED TO BLAME EACH OTHER
A man and a woman who assaulted a young boy and offered his mother £30 to stay silent both attempted to shift responsibility onto each other.David Bradbury and William Gamble appeared before Liverpool Crown Court last week, where they received sentences for their heinous acts involving the sexual abuse of a child.
Their capture was triggered when they uploaded an inappropriate image of a child who was not the abuse victim to Facebook.
Police searching their residence in St Helens uncovered disturbing images and videos, revealing that Bradbury had encouraged and filmed Gamble as he sexually assaulted and raped the young boy.
During the court hearing, it was revealed that both Bradbury, aged 55, and Gamble, aged 65, initially accused each other when questioned about their criminal actions.
Judge Rachel Smith stated that both individuals aimed to diminish their own culpability by blaming the other.
However, when informed a Newton hearing a preliminary trial to establish the facts would be necessary, both men admitted they were equally responsible for their crimes.
Judge Smith said: "You each abandoned that you were the lesser partner in the commission of the offence and stated you accepted you were equal partners in these crimes." In a medical report, read by the judge in court, Doctor Todd said: "Mr Bradbury reported he wouldn't cope if his partner was moved to a different prison than him.
His world revolved around his partner.
"He always wants to be with him and never wants to leave him until his dying days.
They make each other happy." Speaking to the doctor Bradbury had said he felt "disgusted in filming the video and asked his partner not to do anything like that again" and claimed there was "nothing sexual" in it for him by filming the vile acts.
On October 26 of the previous year, both Bradbury and Gamble were taken into custody by authorities.
During the investigation, officers discovered 14 images classified as category A, the most severe category, which included images of child rape.
They also found four images in category B and three in category C on devices found at the men's residence on Pigot Street.
Many of these images depicted the young boy.
When questioned about the abuse, the child expressed that he wanted to keep secrets from himself and preferred not to remember the events.
Jim Smith, defending Gamble, urged the judge to consider his client's guilty plea and stated that Gamble had an evolving awareness of how his actions affected the victim.
The judge, referencing a medical report, noted that Gamble has a learning disability and is more susceptible to manipulation and coercion compared to others.
Judge Smith further explained that the report's author indicated that Bradbury failed to fully accept responsibility for his conduct.
Paul Becker, defending Bradbury, asked the judge to consider his history of anxiety and depression and his guilty pleas.
Gamble and Bradbury both admitted four counts of rape, two sexual assaults and two assaults by penetration, plus the taking of indecent videos associated to each act.
The court heard Gamble had no relevant previous convictions while Bradbury has a conviction for exposure in 1995.
Judge Smith said both Bradbury and Gamble were "dangerous" offenders and jailed each of them for 16 years, with an extended one year on licence.
This type of sentence means they will spend at least two thirds of the custodial term behind bars.
They will then only be released before the end of the sentence if a parole board considers they are no longer a risk.
