Knottfield: Closing statements made in sexual abuse trial

Trial continues at Douglas Courthouse

Closing statements have been made in the case against a former 'senior house parent' at a children's home who is accused of sexually abusing children in his care.

85-year-old Joseph Henry Marshall is standing trial accused of nine offences – six counts of indecent assault, two of gross indecency and one of buggery.

Those offences – the prosecution say – were committed against three boys, who were under the age of 16, between 1974 and 1982 at Knottfield in Douglas.

Today (13 December), after the defence concluded its case, prosecutor Anne Whyte QC described Knottfield as a place of 'not much joy' saying it was a 'different era' at the time the alleged abuse took place.

Addressing the issue of credibility she told the court the witnesses in this case 'don't lead perfect lives' adding their early experiences could have resulted in a 'skewed compass'.

This, she admitted, could make them 'potentially flawed individuals' but, she said: "Those flaws don't mean they are lying".

Highlighting their motivation for coming forward she said the three complainants had been 'nothing other than reluctant' to report the alleged abuse adding: "There is only one motivation, I would suggest to you, and that is to right a longstanding wrong."

In her closing remarks she added: "He (Mr Marshall) treated them like second class citizens. He made them feel like second class citizens. He abused them with impunity."

Closing the defence case Mr Marshall's QC – Collingwood Thompson – said there were 'cracks' in the prosecution case and what he described as 'discrepancies' in the complainants' accounts.

This, he argued, meant that the evidence put forward by the prosecution was 'unreliable' adding: "Are they the sort of discrepancies that cause you to doubt the truthfulness of the witness?"

Citing alleged inconsistencies with where, and when, some of the abuse took place he also criticised the police investigation for 'oversights' that didn't allow the defence to 'test and assess' some of the evidence. 

However Mr Thompson said his client, Mr Marshall, had been consistent throughout. "The burden of proof is on the prosecution not Mr Marshall," he told the jury before adding: "The appropriate verdicts are not guilty."

Joseph Henry Marshall denies the nine charges against him - the trial is due to continue tomorrow (14 December).