Man found dead in a prison cell awaiting sentencing for horrific child abuse
A man found guilty of horrific child abuse has been found dead in his cell while awaiting sentencing.
Weeks after being found guilty of child abuse and rape, 39-year-old Andrew Hadwin was found dead at HMP Durham Prison on Friday, February 2.
Over several years, Hadwin and his companion Cheryl Pickles abused the children by starving them, feeding them soap, and forcing them into hot showers and baths.
The children were malnourished by their husbands until they were so starved that they had to rummage through bins at grocery stores far away. The children were forced to watch the adults eat while they stood in stressful positions for long periods while the couple ordered takeout.
Other forms of cruelty included keeping children in a closet and hanging one terrified child from a bridge over a busy road.
Hadwin’s death was confirmed by the Ministry of Justice, which also told MailOnline that an investigation was underway.
Andrew Hadwin, an inmate at HMP Durham, died on February 2, according to a Ministry of Justice spokesman. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will investigate all deaths in custody.’
Neighbors described the couple as “creepy and stealthy” and claimed they stopped their children from playing outside when they saw them. They also claimed to have heard “all kinds of strange noises coming from their home”.
Hadwin and Pickles were both remanded in custody ahead of a sentencing hearing scheduled for April 28.
Both were charged with multiple counts of child neglect, multiple counts of sexual conduct with a child, and one count of perverting the course of justice.
As for the assault on another child, which occurred when Hadwin was a young girl, she was also charged with three counts of rape.
On January 18, he was convicted of three counts of rape, seven counts of neglect, and one count of obstruction of justice.
He was cleared of having sex with a minor.
A jury at Teesside Crown Court found Hadwin and Pickles, from Fishburn, County Durham, responsible for a protracted campaign of child abuse following a protracted trial.
Jurors heard about the pair’s horrific torture during the trial, which included hanging one terrified youth from a bridge over a busy road.
Hadwin and Pickles often starved the children or forced them into hot showers and baths. One youth was abused to the point where he suffered life-limiting injuries.
During the trial, paramedics testified about the children’s repeated excruciating injuries.
In letters the couple claimed were from the children and gave to police, they apologized for lying, expressed remorse, and falsely accused people of sexual assault, according to what they were told.
However, a handwriting expert found that the letters were not from the young man and that they were written in a notebook that was discovered in the couple’s home.
The campaign of abuse only ended when one of the children plucked up the courage to inform an adult they could trust.
The couple appeared to be a happy family on social media, where Hadwin maintains at least six different identities. As late as January 7, Pickles was active on social media, sending messages wishing her pals a happy new year.
Hadwin was convicted of three counts of rape, seven counts of neglect, and one count of tampering with evidence after the jury deliberated for three days. He was cleared of having sex with a minor.
Pickles was found guilty of perverting the course of justice on one count and five counts of child abuse. She was cleared of sexual behavior with a minor.
Residents of Fishburn knew about the rape allegations before his conviction and mothers brought their children in after playing on the front lawn while he smoked from a bedroom window.
He was a known sex offender, which a neighbor said worried all close families with young children.
“They must have lived here for five years, but as far as anyone knew, there were never any children in the house. The specifics of the case are horrific, and it’s disturbing considering the two had access to the children.
They were sinister and cunning. They would rush to and from the car in the morning, go out during the day, and then return at night. They were still determining their goal.
There would be a constant stream of strange-looking guests and unusual noises coming from their houses. I shudder to imagine what happened there.
According to another neighbor, Hadwin “walked around with a white cane as if he was registered as blind and would use it to get to his car and then drive off in it.” People were aware of his past and the police often visited. I hope they are incarcerated for a very, very long time. We don’t want them to ever come back here.
During their seven-week trial at Teesside Crown Court, the couple, who vehemently denied all the allegations against them, left jurors reeling from horrific accounts of child abuse.
During the trial, the court heard about the pair’s terrifying campaign of abuse, which included hanging one terrified youth from a bridge over a busy road.
When one of the children bravely told a respected adult what had happened, the abuse was exposed in 2018.
Durham Police have launched an investigation.
Detectives found that Hadwin and Pickles repeatedly abused the children by forcing them to eat soap, locking them in closets, forcing them into hot showers and baths — sometimes submerging their heads under water — and denying them access to food during the four-year investigation. including more than 150 witnesses.
Children often had to scavenge for leftovers, and once discovered at 4 a.m., they would travel alone to a store four miles away to look for food.
In addition, spouses entered takeout orders and forced children to watch them eat while standing in stressful positions for long periods.
During the trial, paramedics testified about the children’s repeated excruciating injuries. As a result of the mistreatment, one young man suffered life-limiting injuries.