How did one of Britain’s most shocking paedophile rings get away with it for so long?
Could a head lice infestation have led to the unravelling of a child rape gang that inflicted unspeakable horror?
Warning: This article contains graphic details of abuse
A paedophile ring, a mix of seven Glasgow men and women, operated in plain sight for seven years despite what may appear to be major red flags.
From 2012, a group of children, including some young enough to still be wearing nappies, were subjected to organised “rape nights” by drug users who plied them with alcohol and cocaine.
None of those present tried to help the children, who were all aged under 13. Instead, they clapped, filmed and paid for the abuse to continue.
Questions remain over the abuse carried out in the ‘beastie house’
One boy remembers hearing a “beep” indicating a timer when one rape would end, and another would begin.
This horror unfolded behind the doors of a dirty drug den – a ground-floor flat in a city suburb infested by insects, which was known as the “beastie house”.
The gang even forced the primary school-age children to eat dog food and abuse each other while their molesters crowded round to spectate.
Inside the ground-floor flat that was the scene of such horror
They were shoved in microwaves and a locked fridge and freezer. One girl was hung by her clothes from a nail in the kitchen.
During the trial in 2023, which eventually saw the seven abusers each receive an order for lifelong restriction, judge Lord Beckett said the scandal plunged to the “depths of human depravity”.
The gang comprised Iain Owens, 46; Elaine Lannery, 40; Lesley Williams, 43; Paul Brannan, 42; Scott Forbes, 51; Barry Watson, 48 and John Clark, 48. They are all now in prison for a total of almost 100 years.
There are questions around how this could have happened in the first place.
The children were visited by social workers and even placed on the child protection register in 2018 before police cracked the case in 2020.
How can it be those youngsters, who were being regularly raped as part of an organised ring, could simultaneously sit on a register designed to prevent them from harm?
The High Court jury heard a selection of evidence from people who had concerns.
Police painstakingly worked through almost 1,000 pieces of evidence – so surely there would be someone willing to discuss the warning signs they spotted?
Sky News tracks down concerned witness
But nobody I encountered, from barbers to local shopkeepers, would speak. Until finally, I tracked down a man who had spoken to detectives as part of the investigation.
Sky News’ Scotland correspondent Connor Gillies
Speaking publicly for the first time, he revealed he saw the children regularly and recalled an evening where he spotted head lice on one girl and tried to arrange treatment.
“One of their hair was messy with head lice and because she was the same age as my child, I said ‘why won’t you do your hair’,” he said.
“She left them on her head to try and keep those beasts away from her. The head lice protected her from them.”
The man said he had concerns about how malnourished some of the victims were and described noticing the situation going “wrong” in 2018.
“They were always lingering around adults to try and get food. They were scavenging… It was heartbreaking,” he said.
“The system has failed.”
Sky News has learned concerns were raised with charities too. The actions of social workers, police and child protection services are now being investigated as part of an independent review.
These reviews are commonplace across Britain when serious harm or death is inflicted on a child.
Do reviews actually work?
But how effective are they when a commitment of “lessons will be learned” is then undone when the next tragedy comes along?
One former children’s commissioner for Scotland and leading child protection expert told Sky News the entire review process was being re-examined.
Former children’s commissioner for Scotland, Tam Baillie, with Connor Gillies
Tam Baillie said: “Learning reviews are important. The challenge for them is how effectively we implement the recommendations that come from reviews, as that is the bit that really counts.
“There is no point in doing the review unless it actively effects change in the system.”
Mr Baillie, who has 35 years of experience in child protection, said the public were right to ask questions about this case.
He said: “Currently, the process of learning reviews is being looked at so that we can make improvements to ensure we don’t keep looking at the same lessons coming up time and time again.”
Read more:
Victims were ‘failed’ by the system, Scottish government admits
Six members of paedophile gang to appeal convictions
The gang branded the children liars
I sat in the courtroom during the trial as the paedophiles, who were on bail at the time, laughed and joked in the dock between breaks.
Paul Brannan and Lesley Williams outside the High Court in Glasgow
Their sober performance when the jury was present was very different to their behaviour outside the confines of the High Court in Glasgow.
I have been reporting on criminal proceedings for almost 15 years and their boisterous conduct stands in stark contrast to other people accused of such serious crimes who seem to have more respect for the process.
A member of the paedophile gang outside the court in Glasgow
As the Sky News team filmed their mask-covered faces entering and leaving court, they would yell obscenities and threaten to attack us.
One repeatedly shouted that the children were “liars”. The jury did not believe a word of it and found them guilty.
At the end of another gruelling day of evidence, two of the accused walked out to their waiting taxi and threatened to “batter” me. One of them lunged in our direction.
They were swiftly told to “shut up” and “get in” the car by the lingering police officers.
Days later, a jury convicted them of some of the most heinous crimes this country has ever seen.
Leading KC calls it quits after this case
One leading KC, Thomas Leonard Ross, who was involved in the trial, has told Sky News this case was a tipping point for him.
After working on 400 High Court cases, he is so traumatised he says he will never work on a sex abuse case again.
Thomas Leonard Ross KC
“It is the worst example of child abuse I have ever heard. It was awful to sit and listen to,” he said.
“You were left with the impression that these children were known to the social work department. It seemed surprising that steps hadn’t been taken to remove them from the scenario they were in earlier.
“Questions were raised, and I understand why the public are seeking answers to those questions.”
It is unclear when the independent review will report on its findings, but Glasgow City Council has told Sky News it will implement all recommendations in full.
A spokesperson said: “This is a uniquely complicated case involving unusually sensitive issues and a number of individuals, and our focus remains on supporting everyone involved in this process.”
There is a consensus these children were failed. But our investigation raises fresh questions about how Scotland’s largest paedophile gang managed to cause such prolonged pain.
UK
Family of man who committed murder after escaping from mental health unit say they were ‘failed’ by NHS trust
The family of a man who committed murder during an escape from a secure mental health unit have told Sky News they were “failed” by the trust that was meant to be caring for him.
Joshua Carroll is currently waiting to be sentenced for the murder of Headley Thomas, known as Barry, after beating him to death in a park in Trafford, Manchester, in September 2022.
At the time of the attack, Joshua was in the care of Greater Manchester Mental Health Trust (GMMH). He was being treated as an inpatient at Park House, a unit which has now closed down.
Joshua’s mum and sister say he escaped from the unit 21 times – and they repeatedly complained to the trust and asked for help.
Headley Thomas, who was known as Barry
Leanne Carroll, Joshua’s sister, told Sky News: “The night it happened, Joshua had come to my house. And it was just a normal ‘oh Joshua has escaped from hospital again’. Nothing appeared any different.”
She says they didn’t find out about what had happened until Joshua was arrested weeks later – and “everything fell apart from there”.
Julie and Leanne Carroll
“My heart broke,” said Joshua’s mum, Julie Carroll. “It’s just a horrible, horrible situation.”
Joshua had been diagnosed with conditions including schizoaffective disorder, and had been in and out of inpatient care for around 15 years, his family said.
They showed me more than 20 pages of complaints and responses from GMMH about his repeated escapes, dating back eight years before the murder.
After Joshua’s fourth escape from Park House, his family asked for him to be moved to another unit, saying they were concerned about security.
This didn’t happen, with the trust citing capacity issues. His family complained once again about his escapes just five weeks before the murder, in August 2022.
“We are very, very angry and disappointed,” said Julie. “You think if your child is in hospital, and they are very poorly, that they are going to be looked after – they will be safe and they will be secure. But that wasn’t the case for Josh.”
Julie Carroll says her “heart broke” after her son’s crime came to light
Although Joshua was convicted of murder, Leanne says his family hold GMMH partly responsible.
“If you had done your job properly – none of this would have happened,” she said. “Two families wouldn’t have been destroyed and so many hearts wouldn’t have been broken.”
Since 2022, GMMH has been served with several Section 29A warning notices by the Care Quality Commission. These are issued when the commission decides a service needs to make significant improvements, and there is a risk of harm.
In the case of GMMH, their concerns included “ward security systems not consistently keeping people safe”.
Dr John Mulligan is a clinical psychologist for GMMH, working in the community for the early intervention in psychosis service, and a representative for the union Unite.
Dr John Mulligan
He and his colleagues have been going on strike repeatedly across the past seven months, saying they just don’t have the staffing levels they need to keep people safe.
“Thankfully, violent incidents among our service users are quite rare, they are much more likely to be the victims of violence and aggression,” he said. “But serious incidents are happening regularly. Far too regularly.
“It’s very upsetting for staff and for patients and families.”
Joshua Carroll . Pic: Greater Manchester Police
Salli Midgley, chief nurse at the Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust said: “On behalf of GMMH, we express our heartfelt condolences to Headley Thomas’s loved ones at this very sad time.
“Our thoughts and sympathies remain with everyone who has been affected by this most devastating incident. We are deeply sorry that it happened while Joshua Carroll was under our care.
“Under the trust’s new leadership, we have been working closely with NHS England, our commissioners and the CQC to create better, safer and well-led services for all.”
The Carroll family asked for Joshua to be moved to a different unit after his escapes
She continued: “A huge amount of progress has already been made but we know we still have a lot to do to improve our services.
“As part of this work, we are currently carrying out an in-depth investigation into the care and treatment provided to Mr Carroll, and the circumstances leading to Mr Thomas’ death, the findings of which will be shared with NHS England.
“We are unable to comment further on this case whilst the investigation is ongoing.”
Barry Thomas’s family told Sky News mental health is a very serious issue – but they believe Joshua Carroll tried to “play down his actions”.
They said: “Let’s all remember that a life was taken. Our brother, father, and uncle. The evidence the police gathered was in plain sight for all to see.
“We, the family, would like to thank all the police involved for the work they have done, in bringing justice for Barry.”
UK
Hashem Abedi: Manchester bomb plotter moved back to Belmarsh prison after guards attacked in jail in Durham
The Manchester Arena bomb plotter Hashem Abedi has been moved back to Belmarsh prison after an alleged attack at HMP Frankland on Saturday.
Three prison officers at the high-security jail in County Durham were attacked with cooking oil before being stabbed with an improvised weapon.
Abedi has been transferred to Belmarsh prison in southeast London where he’d previously been found guilty of attacking a prison officer in 2020, along with two other convicted terrorists.
Belmarsh is considered the most high-security prison in the UK.
Abedi has been moved to the only available highly-controlled ‘suite’ cell in the country – a standalone self-contained unit monitored by a minimum of five people at any one time, and a prison dog.
There are only four such cells across England and Wales.
Abedi was convicted of assisting the Manchester terror plot, in which his brother Salman Abedi killed himself and 22 other people by detonating a bomb in a rucksack at an Ariana Grande concert in May 2017.
Hashem Abedi was sentenced in 2020 to at least 55 years in prison after being found guilty of 22 counts of murder over the atrocity.
Salman Abedi before the concert attack. File pic: PA
Meanwhile, the government has said it will commission a review into the incident at HMP Frankland, after suspending access to cooking facilities in separation units, which is where the alleged attack took place.
Sky News understands the Prison Officers Association, after visiting staff who were on duty at the category A jail this week, have written to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer calling for urgent action in order to protect prison staff in the high-security estate.
The union wants to see prison officers working there given stab-proof vests, access to tasers in certain situations, and not just a suspension of self cooking facilities in separation units but a full ban.
Separation units house the country’s most dangerous and violent criminals.
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Belmarsh prison in southeast London. File pic: PA
There have been a series of violent attacks across prisons in England and Wales, only days apart.
On Sunday, convicted killer John Mansfield was found dead at a category A prison, HMP Whitemoor, in Cambridgeshire. Police said they arrested a 44-year-old man on suspicion of murder.
Sky News also understands there was an incident on Tuesday lunchtime at HMP Lowdham Grange in Nottinghamshire.
A specialist ‘response group’ consisting of officers from outside the prison were deployed to bring the situation under control, along with a ‘hostage’ situation, while prisoners climbed on the roof and netting. The situation was brought under control within an hour.
Prisons minister Lord Timpson said it was “another sign of the problems we are facing in our prison with prisons that are overcrowded and violent”.
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