Skircoat Lodge: Former Halifax children’s home principal told police he was target of 'orchestrated campaign' over sexual allegations
The former principal of Skircoat Lodge children’s home in Halifax told police that false allegations were being made against him as part of a campaign to discredit him.
A jury at Bradford Crown Court has been told that 93-year-old Malcolm Phillips is now unfit to stand trial, but they must decide whether he committed the acts alleged against him.
The prosecution has alleged that Phillips, of New Imperial Court in Birmingham, sexually abused six children while they were residents at the home more than 30 years ago.
Phillips, who is not in court, faces a total of 12 charges including indecent assaults, rape and buggery and the prosecution allege that he used his power to isolate children and abuse them for his own sexual gratification.
The jury have also been told that in 2001 Phillips was convicted of sexually abusing eight other female residents at the home following a previous police investigation.
Today, the jury heard summaries from a series of voluntary interviews Phillips had with police officers in 2019, 2020 and 2021.
At the start of each interview, Phillips provided a pre-prepared statement in which he denied committing any offences.
In 2019 he stated: "Since I was suspended by the local authority in 1994 there has been a high-profile media-led campaign to discredit me.
“The campaign against me has been led by a few outspoken individuals who have used the media and the internet to invite persons to come forward and make untrue allegations against me. I believe the current allegations are part of that campaign.
“I again reiterate that I did not commit the alleged offences. The allegations are untrue and the alleged incidents did not happen.”
Phillips answered “no comment” to most of the questions put to him and said he had no memory of the alleged complainants who must not be identified for legal reasons.
In his statement before being interviewed again in 2020, Phillips said: “I can categorically state that I did not commit these alleged offences.”
He went on to say that throughout his time at Skircoat Lodge there was a team of senior managers who carried out visits and examined records.
He added that residents had assigned social workers, attended schools and had home visits and medical care.
“As a result there would have been ample opportunities available to any resident to notify or report any impropriety had it occurred at Skircoat Lodge,” he stated.
He claimed that he had been dismissed in 1994 after raising issues in relation to the management of the home and its failures to comply with the directives and legislation at the time.
“Since raising my concerns there has been a campaign to discredit me,” he stated.
Phillips said he suffered from a number of illnesses and was registered blind.
In another pre-prepared statement in 2021, Phillips said he had first been contacted by West Yorkshire Police in 2016 and there seem to be no prospect of the investigation ending.
“False allegations are being made in an orchestrated campaign against me,” he stated.
“Unfortunately my health has deteriorated further recently and my condition is exacerbated by the considerable stress that has been placed upon me as a result of this investigation.”
Phillips’ former assistant Linda Brunning, now 66, of St Peter’s Avenue, Sowerby Bridge, has pleaded not guilty to five allegations including indecent assault of a male person and charges of aiding and abetting her co-defendant.
It is expected that she will start to give her evidence to the jury tomorrow.
The trial continues.