A 92-year-old former care home manager from Birmingham allegedly used his position of power to sexually abuse vulnerable children over a period of almost two decades, a court has heard.
Allegations of Systematic Abuse
The trial at Bradford Crown Court opened on Monday, January 19, 2026, hearing allegations against Malcolm Phillips of Tyseley, Birmingham. Prosecutors state that Phillips, who managed Skircoat Lodge Care Home in Halifax, West Yorkshire, from its opening in 1976 until 1994, used children for his sexual gratification.
His former assistant of 16 years, Linda Brunning, 66, from Sowerby Bridge, is also on trial, accused of aiding his abuse and indecently assaulting a boy herself. Phillips has been deemed unfit to stand trial, so a trial of facts is being held in his case.
The charges relate to six children – four girls and two boys – who were residents at the home between the late 1970s and early 1990s. Prosecutor Michelle Colborne KC told jurors the children were vulnerable, with many having suffered prior abuse or being labelled as unwanted troublemakers.
A Regime of Fear and Control
The court heard that Phillips, who lived in a flat connected to the girls' bedrooms, had unfettered access to the children. Ms Colborne alleged he and Brunning would carefully select victims by reviewing their files, identifying those they could manipulate.
They allegedly told the children that no one cared about them and that they would not be believed. The pair are accused of using threats, such as withholding pocket money or cancelling family visits, to ensure compliance. Children who ran away were returned by police and punished, often being accused of being liars.
One complainant, a teenage girl in the late 1970s, described being touched by Phillips in her bed at night. Another, who was ten, alleges he assaulted her on at least ten occasions. A boy, aged 14 when he arrived, claims both defendants indecently assaulted him while drying him after a shower.
Specific Accusations and a Previous Conviction
The jury heard detailed accounts from the six complainants. One boy, aged between nine and 13, alleges Brunning restrained him while Phillips assaulted him in a bathroom. When he ran away to sleep in bus shelters or graveyards, he was returned and punished with cold baths.
Another female complainant alleges Phillips raped her twice, leaving her in disbelief that she was attacked in a place meant for her safety. A sixth victim, a girl aged 11 or 12, says Phillips assaulted her in his office on at least three occasions, giving her a lollipop afterwards.
The court was told Phillips' regime of fear ended when he was suspended in 1994 following an investigation. He was later convicted in 2001 of sexually abusing eight female residents of the same home. In a 2019 police statement, Phillips claimed all complainants were liars and that he was the victim of a media campaign.
Phillips faces multiple charges including rape, buggery, and indecent assault. Brunning is charged with indecent assault and aiding and abetting serious sexual offences. The trial continues.
