RONALD AND LESLIE TWITE SENTENCED IN BRADFORD FOR HISTORICAL SEXUAL ABUSE

In September 2017, two brothers from Bradford were sentenced to a total of 18 years in prison for the sexual abuse of two girls approximately 40 years ago.

Ronald Twite, aged 61, received a 12-year sentence after being convicted of raping a girl aged 11 or 12 at his bedsit located on Leeds Road in Bradford. Leslie Twite, aged 62, was sentenced to six years for seven counts of indecent assault and four counts of indecency with a child, involving two girls who were nine and five at the time.

The case was presided over by Recorder David Gordon, who stated that the brothers might need to serve their prison terms in full unless the Parole Board determines it safe to release them earlier. Additionally, both will be on licence for an extra year following their release.

The brothers were found guilty after a four-day trial at Bradford Crown Court, during which they chose not to give evidence. The jury deliberated for only about two hours before delivering unanimous guilty verdicts on all 12 charges.

The court revealed that the offences came to light when one of the victims reported the abuse to police in 2015. It was established that Ronald Twite, now residing on Morley Street, Goole, raped one of the girls on a single occasion, which the judge described as having “a terrible and devastating” impact on her.

Leslie Twite, from Harold Street, Grimsby, was convicted of sexually abusing one of his victims in a phone box.

One of the victims provided a personal statement, saying she felt robbed of her childhood and found it difficult to trust anyone. She also disclosed suffering from depression since she was 18 years old. The other woman described her ongoing struggle to cope with the abuse, mentioning feelings of anger, pushing people away, depression, flashbacks, and a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Representing Ronald Twite, barrister David Godfrey argued that the offence was a one-off incident, with no signs of misconduct since the rape, which occurred around 1979 or 1980. Twite was reported to be in poor health, suffering from diabetes and hearing loss.

For Leslie Twite, lawyer John Batchelor noted that his client was aged between 23 and 27 at the time of the offences. Batchelor also highlighted that Leslie was a registered carer for his wife and had a history of depression and self-harm.

Following sentencing, Recorder Gordon imposed indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Orders on both brothers and mandated that each must register as a sex offender for an indefinite period.