A paedophile who spent years pretending to be a non-verbal wheelchair user incapable of holding up his own head — all to avoid standing trial for child sex offences — has been jailed for 15 years after CCTV footage exposed the elaborate deception, with his brother convicted alongside him for helping maintain the lie.
John Siddell, 41, of Chestnut Street, Ashington, Northumberland, was convicted at Leicester Crown Court on Tuesday of 15 child sex offences against three boys aged between four and 14, as well as perverting the course of justice. His brother James Siddell, 44, was also convicted of perverting the course of justice for lying to police about the severity of John’s supposed health conditions.
The brothers’ deception came to light when the officer in charge of the case spotted John Siddell behaving entirely normally without his wheelchair, moments before a meeting with his solicitor. Detective Matt Gibson then reviewed CCTV footage and found extensive evidence of John walking, talking and socialising without any assistance — conducting himself normally in daily life while performing complete incapacitation whenever police, medical professionals or court officials were present, or the day before a scheduled court hearing.
Police first received reports of the child sex offences in June 2021. At the time, the three boys were aged 8, 10 and 13, though the abuse had been ongoing for two years prior to that. John was interviewed by police in July and November 2021 but refused to answer any questions. The brothers then moved from Leicestershire to Northumberland, and by June 2022 John had been charged with 15 offences.
For the following year, the brothers falsely claimed John suffered from a range of physical and psychological conditions while police and the Crown Prosecution Service prepared for trial. In February 2023, just days before a court hearing, James requested a letter from John’s GP to excuse John from attending, claiming he was too unwell to travel. The scheme continued until Gibson’s suspicions were raised and the CCTV review blew the cover story apart.
Both brothers refused to attend Tuesday’s sentencing hearing at Leicester Crown Court and were sentenced in their absence. Judge Keith Raynor described them as “deceitful and devious,” saying they had “entirely corrupted the course of justice.” He said: “They misrepresented John Siddell’s mental and physical abilities, the behaviour of both of them entirely corrupting and undermining the course of justice.”
John Siddell received a total sentence of 15 years — 11 years and 10 months for the child sex offences and 3 years and 2 months for perverting the course of justice — alongside a 15-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order. James Siddell was sentenced to two years and nine months.
