Ex-council leader's sex shame (From Worcester News)

Ex-council leader's sex shame

7:20am Friday 9th March 2012 in News By James Connell

THE former leader of Worcestershire County Council is behind bars today waiting to hear his sentence on separate sex assaults against a teenager and a young woman.

Dr George Lord admitted three counts of indecent assault on a young girl in the 1970s when he appeared at Birmingham Crown Court yesterday. He was remanded in custody.

But Lord had already been found guilty at a trial in January of a sex assault on a woman in a junior position at the county council in 2010, when he was the council leader. He had denied the charge.

The Press had been ordered to keep details of that trial secret to ensure that Lord could have a fair trial in the case involving the teenager.

But when he pleaded guilty yesterday, the reporting ban was lifted and the full story could be told.

His lawyer told the court it was inevitable he would go to prison, but before sentencing the judge has asked for reports on the 79-year-old to determine whether he is a danger to women.

Lord, whose last known address was Belle Vue Close, Marlbrook, Bromsgrove, looked frail and grim-faced in a grey suit as he appeared before judge Nigel Godsmark.

When his case was called on there was an awkward moment when Lord walk-ed past the door of the dock and was asked to step inside behind the glass barriers where he was flanked by guards.

He remained impassive as he pleaded guilty to three indecent assaults, all of which involve the same girl aged “14 or 15”, between September 22, 1977, and September 21, 1979.

Brett Wilson, defending, said a custodial sentence was now “inevitable” for these offences.

Mr Wilson said: “Given the age of my client and his fall from grace in public office, I would apply to adjourn sentence for a full pre-sentence report.”

Judge Godsmark said: “I will want an assessment in that report of the risk that he poses to women.

“I want to know whether he’s a danger.”

Lord was remanded in custody and the case was adjourned until Tuesday, April 3, or Wednesday, April 4 for sentencing.