Pensioner's 14-month prison ordeal

MALCOLM Leach has spoken about his time in prison

A PENSIONER acquitted of sexually abusing a young girl has spoken of his 14-month ordeal in prison.

Malcolm Leach (68) was convicted by a jury at Minshull Street Crown Court in January, 2016, for two counts of gross indecency against a young girl.

He was due to serve three years, but Mr Leach appealed and was acquitted following a hearing on March 16 where the Court of Appeal quashed the conviction and ordered a re-trial. But the Crown Court prosecution, after considering the evidence, including new evidence from the defence, concluded there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction.

Mr Leach, of Hunt Lane, Chadderton, spoke to the Chronicle about his life in HM Prison Manchester, his relief at being acquitted and his gratitude to the friends and family who stood by him throughout.

He said: "I feel it was an awkward case. I don't blame the jury for finding me guilty because it was my word against the complainant's. From the moment I was accused the police thought I was guilty.

"All they did was interview the complainant's friends and didn't come to get my side of the story. I can only blame the police for not attempting to take my side.

"When I was locked up I was devastated. It was just shock and numbness. If I had been guilty it would have been the right sentence but at 68 years of age I have lost probably more than 10 per cent of my remaining life.

"I have three grandchildren and I have missed some of the important stages of their life which I felt aggrieved about. It was such a relief when I was acquitted and my family were elated."

As a pensioner in prison, who would not be sent to work, Mr Leach said he spent the majority of time in his cell keeping his mind occupied with books, crosswords and helped other inmates learn English and maths.

He even designed his own sudoku puzzle which has been photocopied and left behind in the prison library for other inmates to use.

Speaking about prison, Mr Leach said: "There were some not very nice people in there, one person threatened to kill me and there were a few little incidents but other than that I didn't see any violence. It was a frustrating time for me.

"When you are lying in bed in prison at four in the morning there are lots of things going through your mind and you can't get to sleep."

Because he spent up to 23 hours in his cell, Mr Leach very rarely saw exposure to the sun and came out of the prison with a Vitamin D deficiency.

As a convicted sex offender he was housed on the vulnerable prisoner wing. He said inmates from that wing who would cross the prison grounds to work would often be subject to abuse from the other inmates.

He said: "Some of the inmates on my wing would go to work and they'd go across the grounds where people would be spitting at them, shouting at them and throwing cups of liquid at them from their cells."

Mr Leach now intends to pick up where he left off and thanked his family and friends who supported him.

"I was very lucky when I was convicted because everybody I know, friends and family, they absolutely all stood by me. They all believed in me. It was a case of coming out having been convicted, walking into the pub for a pint and being greeted by everybody. The response was brilliant, they were all saying 'it is good to see you back'."