Former policeman jailed over historic sex abuse

A FORMER policeman described as an ‘arrogant bully’ has been jailed for nine years for historic sex offences committed against three girls.

Phillip Abbiss was a serving officer with West Yorkshire Police at the time he preyed on a 13-year-old victim.

Abbiss, 60, was also found guilty of offences against two nine-year-olds committed when he was a teenager in 1973.

Abbiss, of Valley Close, Alwoodley, Leeds, was found guilty of two offences of gross indecency with a child and two of indecent assault after a trial at Leeds Crown Court.

Jurors heard he targeted the two nineyear-old girls near his then home in Horsforth, Leeds, after deliberately isolating them. The court heard Abbiss sexually assaulted a 13-year-old girl in 1992 when he was a police officer.

The victim said she felt unable to report the incident for many years. She said in a statement: “Who would believe me over a serving police officer?” She added: “I have lived with this for over 25 years and it has sent me to some very dark places.” Sentencing, Recorder Joanne Kidd said Abbiss he had instructed his legal team to “belittle” the victim of the 1992 attack during cross-examination when she gave evidence in court.

She said: “It is symptomatic of your arrogance and sense of entitlement to put that before the jury as a potential line of cross-examination.”

The court also heard Abbiss met one of the victims that had been abused as a nine-year-old around a decade after the incident and he made “veiled references” to her about what he had done.

Recorder Kidd said: “Again, this exhibits arrogance and sexual entitlement,”

Abbiss did not react as he was sentenced in a packed courtroom, watched by victims and family members. The defendant’s barrister, Mark Kelly, said Abbiss continued to deny the offences.