Five Hartlepool men in court over historic child sex charges

Gerald Martin outside Hartlepool Magistrates Court after an earlier hearing. Five people have appeared in court on charges said to be linked to the allegations against Mr Martin.

The men, all aged in their sixties and seventies, attended Hartlepool Magistrates’ Court over the allegations that date back to the 1970s and 80s.

Prosecutors claim the alleged offending is related to allegations faced by town funeral director Gerald Martin, who is awaiting trial at Teesside Crown Court.

Robert Black, 70, of no fixed abode, indicated he would be pleading not guilty to five allegations against two boys of indecent assault and one of a serious sex offence.

Addressing magistrates, prosecutor David Carmichael said: “The prosecution invite you to send this case to the crown court to link with another co-defendant.

“That defendant is a Gerald Martin. That matter has already been timetabled for plea and case management, scheduled to take place on April 8 this year at Teesside Crown Court.”

Four other men the prosecution say were part of the same case also appeared.

Geoffrey Hillier, 71, of Haswell Avenue, appeared charged with three serious sexual offences on a boy under 16 and two counts of indecent assault on a boy under 16 in the 1980s.

He is also accused of five counts of making indecent photos of children and three of distributing indecent photos between 2012 and 2015.

No indication of how he will plead was given due to a lack of prosecution information.

David Anderson, aged 70, of Grange Road, faces seven charges of indecent assault on a boy under the age of 16.

He did not indicate any plea as no papers had been provided to his solicitor.

Peter Watts, aged 71, of Oxford Road, faces three allegations of indecent assault on a boy under 16.

He is also charged with a serious sexual offence and one count of gross indecency, also on a boy under 16.

Alan Edmenson, 65, of Ibrox Grove, Hartlepool, is charged with one count of indecent assault on a boy under the age of 16.

Dave Smith, defending, said: “He disputes this matter entirely.”

Magistrates referred all five defendants to Teesside Crown Court to appear on Wednesday, March 9.

In December, Martin, 65, of Valley Close, Hartlepool, appeared before magistrates charged with nine sex abuse allegations, all against boys, comprising of five alleged indecent assaults, two serious sexual offences and two of an attempted serious sexual offence.

Other allegations of sexual assault of two boys in the 1960s and 1970s are also going through the court system.

Martin denies all the allegations.

A trial has been set for July 18.