July 2017 Sadistic pensioner jailed for reign of shocking child abuse A SADISTIC abuser has been jailed for four years after tormenting children with a catalogue of offending including making them fight each other for meals, forcing one to drink bleach mixed with juice and slashing one of their feet with a knife after they ran away from her. Sandra Clayton, 70, abused three children between the early Seventies and mid Eighties. As well as regular physical beatings, the children were subjected to a sickening game called “swingies” where she would grab them by their limbs, spin them around and then let go, often causing injury when they hit walls or furniture. She also forced soiled underwear into two of the children’s mouths if she deemed them to be not clean enough, made them sleep on the floor, go outside in the cold and shower in scolding hot water. When their injuries were too big to conceal, Clayton forced the victims to lie to the police and other authorities to not implicate her and reveal her horrific abuse. The full details of her depraved actions were laid out at a sentencing hearing at Ipswich Crown Court where Judge Rupert Overbury handed her four years in jail. She had previously admitted three counts of cruelty to a person under the age of 16. Sentencing Clayton, of Chapel Road, Brightlingsea, Judge Overbury said her actions had lasting affects on the victims He said: “What you did was deliberate and sadistic. “Making them fight between themselves for food and washing them with scolding hot water are mere examples. “The affects of your abuse have left them anxious and scarred physically and psychologically. “What you did has been catastrophic for them and fortunately they have begun to recover.” Two of the victims, whose identity is protected by a court order, bravely read out statements explaining what the affect of the abuse has had on them. One said: “If I see somebody who looks like her or hear someone in the supermarket with a similar tone of voice I am still struck with a rising panic. “It is my deepest hope I will be able to begin the healing process and find lasting peace of mind. “The affects of the abuse have impacted every area of my life.” The offences relate to children who are not directly related to her. June 2017 Pensioner abused children AN Evil pensioner forced children to sleep naked on freezing floors and threw them against a wall as a ‘game’ in a 13-year reign of terror. Sandra Clayton, 69, also forced soiled underwear into the mouth of at least one child as a twisted punishment if they weren’t ‘clean’. The incidents took place between 1979 and 1992 and relate to three children in her care at the time but who were not related to her. None of the children, who are now adults, can be named as a result of a court order. She was dressed smartly in a black and white shirt and blue trousers and spoke only to confirm her pleas and that she understood proceedings. At an earlier hearing, prosecutor Stephen Sparkes told magistrates: “She initiated a game called ‘swinging’ in which she would pick up the children and swing them around a room and let them go so that the crashed in the wall. “(They) were made to sleep naked on the floor with no sheets when it was freezing cold. They were subjected to beatings.” Mr Sparkes told how one of the children had to go to hospital due to his injuries. He also said Clayton would regularly check at least one of the children’s underwear. Mr Sparkes said: “If she deemed them to be not clean enough, she would wrap the underwear around her fingers and force them into (the child’s) mouth.” Judge Rupert Overbury warned Clayton she could face jail but adjourned sentencing until a pre-sentence report could be prepared by the probation service. He said: “I am not making any promises at all and I cannot sentence you until I know more about you. “It may very well result in a prison sentence – I don’t know. “I will weigh up all the factors of the case and come to a decision.” One of the victims appeared at the hearing and made a request to read out a victim impact statement at the sentencing hearing next month. Judge Overbury agreed he could, and asked for representations to be made to other victims to allow them to do the same if they wished. Clayton, of Brightlingsea, Essex was given unconditional bail until the sentencing hearing.