PHILIP AND ELIZABETH RODEN OF YARDLEY HASTINGS SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL ABUSE AND CRUELTY

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Yardley Hastings, Philip Roden, aged 64, and his wife Elizabeth Roden, aged 59, were both convicted of serious criminal offenses related to sexual abuse and cruelty. The case came to light after Elizabeth Roden took the extraordinary step of reporting her husband to the police, revealing that he had committed offenses dating back to the 1980s.

Philip Roden was arrested last year following his wife’s call to law enforcement authorities. During the investigation, it was uncovered that he had committed multiple indecent assaults, with a jury at Northampton Crown Court finding him guilty of seven such offenses. The court heard that these assaults involved children who, at the time of the trial, had grown into adulthood. Despite their current age, these victims had never previously reported the abuse to authorities, a silence that was broken only after Elizabeth Roden, under the influence of alcohol, called the police and disclosed her husband's past actions.

The court proceedings also revealed a disturbing history involving Elizabeth Roden herself. A second victim came forward and disclosed that Elizabeth had once subjected him to abuse. This revelation led to her arrest as well, and she was subsequently charged with cruelty offenses. The court heard that Elizabeth’s abuse of the second victim was part of a pattern of misconduct, which she admitted during her trial.

The defendants, residents of Castle Ashby Road in Yardley Hastings, faced a jury that unanimously convicted them last month. Philip Roden was found guilty of seven counts of indecent assault and was sentenced to four years in prison. The presiding judge, Recorder Christopher Donnellan QC, also ordered that Philip be placed on the sex offenders’ register for life and be subject to a sexual offences’ prevention order, emphasizing the severity and ongoing risk associated with his crimes.

Elizabeth Roden was convicted of three cruelty offenses related to her treatment of the second victim. She received a three-year prison sentence. Prosecutor John Lloyd-Jones emphasized the gravity of the case, stating, “He is not a defendant who says he has now realised the error of his ways. This is a defendant who is still entirely in denial.”

During sentencing, the judge highlighted the persistent nature of the offenders’ behavior, condemning their actions as a gross breach of trust. The judge remarked, “Despite clear warnings at the time, your behaviour did not end. This was persistent and repeated behaviour, in gross breach of trust,” underscoring the seriousness of their crimes and the impact on their victims.