A paedophile who spent nearly three decades on the run in Thailand was today branded ‘shambling, despicable and evil’ by one of his victims as he was convicted of dozens of historical sexual abuse offences against boys.
Richard Burrows, a former boarding school housemaster and scout leader, faces dying behind bars after he was found guilty of 54 child sex offences by a jury at Chester Crown Court, having already pleaded guilty to 43 crimes.
The predator became one of the UK’s most wanted fugitives when he fled the country before his trial was due to take place in 1997, but he was arrested at Heathrow Airport in March last year after returning from Thailand.
Burrows, 80, was snared after he tried to re-enter the UK, having spent 27 years in his ‘paradise’ using a stolen identity, a jury heard.
Police bodycam footage released today shows the moment Burrows, aided with a walking stick, was arrested after landing at Heathrow and bundled into a wheelchair.
The court heard how between 1968 and 1995, Burrows systematically abused 26 young boys across the Cheshire, West Midlands and West Mercia areas.
The prolific sex offender, described by police as a ‘coward’ who enjoyed a life of ‘paradise’ while his victims were left to ‘suffer’, will be sentenced for a total of 97 offences on April 7.
Burrows, then 53, was arrested and charged with a number of offences in 1997, which he denied, but failed to appear at a pre-trial plea and preparation hearing on December 8 that year.
He had in fact fled to Thailand under the name of Peter Leslie Smith, having stolen an acquaintance’s identity and used it to obtain a passport.
In emails found since his arrest, Burrows described spending nearly the past three decades as ‘living in paradise’.
The paedophile, originally from Sutton Coldfield, worked as a housemaster at a school for troubled teenagers in Cheshire in the 1960s and later worked with scouts and amateur radio clubs in the Midlands.
The trial heard how he used his positions of trust and responsibility – which also included working as a master at a children’s home ‘to satisfy himself sexually’ by abusing boys aged between 10 and 15.
Burrows was today found guilty of 54 offences, including indecent assault of boys, buggery, attempted buggery and indecency with a child.
He had already pleaded guilty to 43 offences, including indecent assault of boys, making indecent images of children, possession of indecent images of children and four counts of possession of false identity documents with intent.
The offences in Cheshire happened between 1969 and 1971 while he was working as a housemaster, looking after vulnerable children at Danesford Children’s Home in Congleton.
Cheshire Police said his victims in the West Midlands and West Mercia areas were also all young boys who were abused between 1968 and 1995, the majority through local scout groups where Burrows worked as a leader.
Burrows would befriend victims by abusing his position of trust before sexually abusing them.
Prosecutor Mark Connor KC told the jury during the trial how Burrows left the UK after he was arrested at his home in Birmingham in 1997.
Mr Connor said: ‘He had in fact fled to Thailand under the name of Peter Leslie Smith, having cloned an acquaintance’s identity and obtained a passport with that false identity.
‘He was arrested when he attempted to re-enter the UK on 28th March 2024 on the eve of his 80th birthday, having enjoyed 27 years in ‘paradise’ , to quote his description of where he had spent his time on the run.’
The prosecution told the court that Burrows ‘systematically abused male children under his care’.
Burrows had fled the country and, using false passports using the identity of an unwell acquaintance, lived in the Thai resort of Phuket.
Police made appeals to track him down via the BBC’s Crimewatch programme, which prompted more victims to come forward but failed to uncover his whereabouts.
He was finally arrested on landing at Heathrow Airport last March, on the eve of his 80th birthday after, police believe, he ran out of money and decided to return.
During his trial, which began at Chester Crown Court in January, Burrows claimed he believed his actions had done no harm to the children – even telling jurors he was a ‘good paedophile’ who ‘loved boys’ and ‘wouldn’t harm them’.
Planning his return to the UK last year, he is said to have told his brother that ‘not all paedophiles are the same’.
But he was condemned for his ‘pathetic’ attempts to justify his crimes by one of his victims, who waived his right to anonymity.
James Harvey, who was 13 or 14 when he was befriended by Burrows through his involvement with the sea scouts and indecently assaulted in a caravan, told Sky News: ‘I think he’s pathetic in the true sense of the word.
‘His impulses and emotions have driven everything that he’s done probably throughout the whole of his life and have left him looking like a shambling, despicable, evil human being that could casually over 60 years do this to children and still wake up in the morning and find a way of justifying it.
‘I think he’s pathetic, I think he’s weak. There is nothing about this man that deserves anything other than loathing.’
During the trial, Mr Connor told how the boys who attended the school were ‘vulnerable’, having previously been in trouble or had problems at home.
Burrows used his attic room at his home in Sutton Coldfield where he kept his radio equipment to commit some of the sex attacks to which he has pleaded guilty, the court heard.
The trial heard that one victim from the attic was aged 12 or 13 when he was attacked sometime between 1966 and 1968.
He came forward to police after noticing an appeal on the BBC Crimewatch programme in 2011.
Another victim was a 12-year-old paper boy with an interest in radios when Burrows invited him back to his home to see his radio equipment and then assaulted him in the attic.
The victim came forward only last year when he saw news of the arrest of Burrows at Heathrow Airport.
Detective Inspector Eleanor Atkinson, who had led the investigation, said: ‘Our determination to locate Burrows over the past 27 years has not faltered and I welcome the verdict reached by the jury.
‘It is clear that he is a prolific sex offender. He systematically abused his victims, specifically targeting vulnerable boys in order to fulfil his own sexual gratification.
‘Following his initial charges in 1997, Burrows knew he was guilty but rather than face the consequences of his actions, he acted like a coward and fled the country using a stolen identity taken from an unwell man.
‘In emails that we have found since his arrest, Burrows described how he has spent the past three decades ‘living in paradise’, while his victims have all been left to suffer as they struggled to try and rebuild their lives.
‘Thankfully, following our determination, he has finally been held accountable for his actions and is now behind bars where he belongs.
‘It was clear throughout his trial that he did not feel remorse and had not thought at any point while living abroad about the impact his abuse had on his young victims.
‘While his victims will never be able to forget what happened to them, I hope that the fact that Burrows has now been held accountable will finally provide them with some closure. Sadly, four of his victims have now passed away and so did not get to see justice served.
‘I also hope that this case acts as a warning to any other wanted suspects – demonstrating that no matter how long you hide, we will find you and you will be held accountable.’
An spokesperson for the NSPCC said: ‘For nearly three decades Burrows repeatedly exploited positions of trust he had gained in the community, including as a scout leader and a school housemaster, to sexually abuse boys across Chester, the West Midlands and West Mercia.
‘In 1997 he went on the run, evading justice for almost 30 years and causing even more pain to those who suffered at his hands. We hope that Burrows finally facing justice for his terrible crimes will provide a measure of relief and comfort for those he abused and their families.
‘It is never too late for survivors of sexual abuse to speak out and to get help. We would encourage anyone who has experienced abuse, no matter who the perpetrator was or when it took place, to reach out and seek any support they might need.’
