Today (21 September 2009) at the Royal Court of Jersey in St Helier, Gordon Claude Wateridge, was sentenced to two years imprisonment after being convicted in August this year of assault and a series of sexual offences.

Mr Wateridge was convicted at the Royal Court of Jersey of eight counts of indecent assault against three females and one count of assault against a male. These counts relate to offences that took place at the Haut de la Garenne children’s home in the Parish of St Martin in Jersey in the early 1970s where he was a house parent.

In announcing the sentence, the judge, Sir Christopher Pitchers, who was sitting with Jurat P J de Veulle OBE and Jurat J C Tibbo, said: “Mr Wateridge’s actions have rightly been described as sexual bullying. There is no such thing as a trivial sexual assault on a child. The children in care at the home were entitled to expect care, love and kindness and instead they received sexual bullying and unkindness.”

Mr Wateridge was sentenced to 21 months for the sexual assaults and three months for the assault. The sentences run consecutively.

In the Royal Court today Mr Wateridge was also sentenced on four counts of firearms offences. Mr Wateridge had previously pleaded guilty to these offences. Commissioner Sir Christopher Pitchers stated he would not impose a set penalty but ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the firearms. These counts are not related to the assault or sexual assault counts.