Ex-police chief in dock over historic sex abuse Retired superintendent accused of offences in N.Wales care system

AFORMER police chief charged with historic sex offences is not expected to go on trial until September of next year.

Defendant Gordon Anglesea, 78, a retired North Wales police superintendent, was arrested by detectives from Operation Pallial, a National Crime Investigation into claims of historical sex offences in the North Wales care home system, and faces seven charges between 1979 and 1987.

Anglesea, of Gwynant, Old Colwyn, is charged with three offences of indecent assault and one serious sexual assault with a youngster in the Wrexham area between May 1984 and May 1985.

He is further charged with indecent assault and serious sexual assault on a second youth under the age of 16 in the Colwyn Bay area between July 1979 and August 1980.

And the final charge alleges that he indecently assaulted a boy under 16 at Mold between January 1986 and January 1987.

He has already indi- cated that he would deny all the allegations.

Anglesea, dressed in an open neck shirt and a light coloured jacket, said nothing during the short hearing apart from confirming his name.

Judge Rhys Rowlands adjourned the case for a plea and directions hearing on November 20.

A provisional trial date was fixed on September 5, 2016.

It could take anything between four or six weeks.

Judge Rowlands said the trial judge should be someone who did not sit in the area.

“It ought to be dealt with by an experienced circuit judge who does not normally sit in the North of the circuit,” he said.

Anglesea was bailed on condition that he does not contact witnesses, that he surrenders his passport, reports to police at Colwyn Bay twice a week and lives at his home address – but it was previously agreed that an administrative arrangement could be made for him to stay with his daughter once the Telford address was provided to the police.