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Former government adviser spared jail after grooming teen into groping his wife

The judge told the 72-year-old electricity expert he was only suspending the sentence for two years because of his albeit late guilty plea

Today at 16:56

A former government adviser turned pervert from Co Down has narrowly avoided jail after he groomed a teenager into groping his wife almost 40 years ago.

Judge Geoffrey Miller KC imposed a two-year jail sentence on Dr Leslie Bryans at Downpatrick Crown Court.

He told the 72-year-old electricity expert he was only suspending the sentence for two years because of his albeit late guilty plea, his clear record and that there were no other allegations of abuse.

Ordering Bryans to sign the police sex offenders’ register for the next 10 years, the judge warned Bryans that if he commits any further offences the suspended sentence would be activated and “made consecutive” to any other sentence.

Five days before he was due to go on trial last November Bryans, from the Magheraknock Road in Ballynahinch, entered a guilty plea to a single charge of indecent assault of a male on a date unknown between June 24, 1985 and June 25, 1986.

Following that confession, the prosecution opted not to proceed with a charge of indecent assault against his 73-year-old wife Paula and a further charge of aiding and abetting indecent assault against Leslie Bryans.

Summarising the case during his sentencing remarks today, Judge Miller outlined how the victim was a 15-year-old boy who was interested in computers.

Bryans bought a new machine and invited the boy to come and see it and during this visit, he was given food and vodka before he left to go home.

That happened a couple more times but on one specific occasion, Bryans gave him enough alcohol that he became intoxicated and the defendant “showed him an adult pornographic video.”

Judge Miller said while the victim did not remember how he came to be lying on the defendant’s bed, he did remember Mrs Bryans “coming into the room wearing a negligee… and the defendant invited him to engage in penetrative sexual acts with his wife” before directing the boy’s hands to her private parts while he performed a sex act on the boy.

Feeling “confused and embarrassed,” the 15-year-old left the house but a few days later when he encountered Bryans by chance, the creep told him “he and his wife had the best sex ever after he left”.

Bryans also invited and encouraged the boy to come and “video them” but he refused and thereafter “avoided the defendant.”

Judge Miller told the court that exchange was indicative of Bryans’ “entirely inappropriate, entirely selfish, sexualised attitude,” adding that his claims to a probation officer of not remembering that conversation “must be seen as disingenuous” although possibly motivated by a “sense of shame.”

“One certainly hopes that’s the case rather than a cynical attempt to play down the seriousness of his crime,” said the judge.

The incident came to light in February 2020 when the victim found the courage to report the matter to police.

Judge Miller said it was clear from the reports and victim impact statement the offence had had a “profound effect” on him over the years, decreasing his sense of self-worth, and negatively impacting his relationships and intimacy with his own wife.

As regards Bryans, the judge revealed he had had a “long and distinguished career” where he worked for NIE, was “released to the British Government to act as an adviser to the minister of electricity” and further afield in Yemen as well as other Middle Eastern and African countries.

He told the court while Bryans had entered a guilty plea and would receive credit for it, the victim reported he had been “made to feel that the defendant was making him to be a liar and further added to his distress.”

Judge Miller emphasised that by admitting his guilt Bryans has publicly acknowledged the victim was telling the truth, commenting that while the admission is a mitigating factor there were also aggravating features including the use of alcohol, “elements of grooming” and the significant psychological impact upon the victim.

He warned Bryans that had he been convicted after a trial, he would have jailed him for 30 months. Although he imposed the suspended jail sentence, the judge declined to also impose a Sexual Offences Prevention Order.