Ex Care Boss Guilty Of Further Charges

27 November 2014, 16:06

A former care home manager has been convicted of a further seven charges of historical child sex abuse.

John Allen, from Suffolk, was found guilty at Mold Crown Court on 26 counts yesterday but the jury has failed to agree on four further charges. 

The 73 year old, who denied all the allegations against him, has been convicted of committing various offences against 18 boys and one girl, aged between seven and 15, at various residential properties in and around the Wrexham area. 

The court heard Allen had no care qualifications when he set up a company named Bryn Alyn Community in 1968, which went on to become a highly profitable portfolio of 11 homes for children. 

Many of the complainants, who were vulnerable at the time, said they felt no-one would believe their word against Allen, who was said to be intelligent, charismatic and articulate. 

One of his victims said the defendant ruled the homes with "an iron fist'' as both staff and residents were "scared stiff of him''. Most of the abuse between 1969 and 1990 took place at three homes - Bryn Alyn, Pentre Saeson and Bryn Terion. 

Allen is due to be sentenced on Monday.