How Could You? Hall of Shame-UK-Julie Towson and Philip Gregory

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Chesire, UK, foster mother “Julie Townson, 62, from Ellesmere Port in Cheshire, started abusing Danielle Upton when she was just 15 after she was assigned to care for her under a private fostering arrangement.

Danielle, who has waived her right to anonymity, told how one night when she was 17, Townson asked her: ‘Why do you not get into bed with me and Phil?’

The victim’s uncle, her mother’s brother, Philip Gregory then molested her.

As Danielle lay sickened and terrified, she claims Gregory boasted to Townson: ‘We should do this every weekend.’

Townson, who had previous convictions for battery and benefit fraud, was found guilty of seven charges of sexual activity with a child after a trial. Gregory, now 66, pleaded guilty to two offences of sex offences with a child and has been jailed for 40 months.

In a statement to police Danielle, who is now 30, said: ‘I was subjected to sexual abuse whilst living in an environment I thought was a safe place in the care of a family friend.

‘I only came to realise the severity of it when I was older and left their care and I am far better now for having had a chance to speak about it with the therapist and police.

‘Having been diagnosed with PTSD I still suffer daily with my mental health which I believe is a result of sexual abuse brought about through Julie’s manipulative and controlling behaviour.’

Danielle said she struggles to develop relationships with people and also self harmed as a ‘coping mechanism’.

She added: ‘I was made to feel like this because of Julie Townson. I feel vulnerable and intimidated, more in relation to Julie Townson. I feel that as the investigation comes to a close that she will make trouble for me.

‘It has been a case where I have been unable to manage my anxiety. My main concern is either bumping into Julie or Phil. I am scared of repercussions. I suffer from bad night terrors related to the crimes. I suffer from stress and headaches and have struggled to eat. I have suffered from sickness and stomach issues which has affected me every day.’

At Chester Crown Court, Townson who denied wrongdoing fainted in the dock as she was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life.

As Townson was sent down, her victim Danielle Upton declared: ‘Guilty b****, can’t wait to see you cry you paedophile.’

When sentence was passed Townson’s husband of 30 years Ged, a retired trucker aged 82, said: ‘It’s a travesty’ and shouted at the court: ‘I hope you die a slow lingering death painfully,’ before storming out with the aid of his walking stick.

Afterwards Danielle took to social media to tell friends of her ordeal, adding: ‘These incidents with Julie are only a handful of the horrific things she’s inflicted on me and my family over the years my sister and I lived there.

‘She stole what was supposed to be the best years of my life from me, I never got a chance to grow and develop as a person, opportunities were taken away from me, heck she even had control over my bank card and the little amount of money I was receiving! and that’s only the half of it.

‘To top everything off today, while Julie was being read her sentence, she ‘fainted’, I put that in quotes because it looked fake, and then the theatrics from her daughter and family afterwards seemed scripted, but they did yell awful stuff at me.

‘Julie’s husband Ged shouted that it was a travesty and that he wished us all dead, whilst her little weird mates yelled saying I’m a lying bitch and that I’m the criminal, so yeah, nice way to add to my trauma. Not that they care because narcissists don’t care about anyone except themselves.(sic)’

The court heard Danielle was abused between 2007 and 2010 when she was aged between 15 and 17.

Initially Townson plied the victim with vodka before using a sex aid on herself in the teenager’s presence but later began fondling her breasts and genitalia whilst looking after her at her home.

Matthew Dunford prosecuting said: ‘Gregory lived in a flat where Danielle, her mother, her brother and foster mother would visit. They would play darts and sometimes stay over night even though there was not much room.

‘After going to bed, Danielle could not sleep and went to the kitchen. Julie Townson then came into the kitchen and said ‘Why do you not get into bed with me and Phil?’ Danielle was unsure at first but decided to do as she was so tired.

‘She lay down fully dressed on one side of the bed Julie was in the middle whilst Gregory was on the other side. But as she was trying to get to sleep, she felt Julie’s hands coming over touching her breasts.’

Danielle said: ‘I thought she was trying to get me in the mood. I do not know how Phil came to be involved in the situation. It was really strange.

‘I think he was trying to sleep. I do not know what she was doing with her other hand. But he woke up and she said, ‘I bet you wish you knew what we were doing here. ‘I wasn’t sure how it happened.

‘The next thing I remember being naked from the waist down and Phil had sex with me. They then put the lights on and we sat around chatting, like everything was normal then Phil said something like, ‘We should do this every weekend.”

Townson’s counsel Stephen Mills said in mitigation: ‘She is a 62-year-old woman who will never be allowed to enter into a private foster arrangement ever again nor ever live in the same household as a child again.

‘She has been through health problems in the past. She has had treatment for cancer and is in remission for the last three years.

‘She suffers from type 2 diabetes and has been suffering from very severe anxiety and depression. She can be described now as being a shadow of her former self. She is obviously resigned to her fate but very, very scared about it.

‘That’s not just for her but for her husband who is with us today. He is a gentleman on a mobility scooter. He is 82. They have been married for about 30 years and they assist each other with companionship.

‘She has been suffering from nasty taunts from at least one neighbour telling her she is going to be harmed in prison. Mrs Townson does not accept some of the things in the victim statement.’

Sentencing, judge Mr Recorder Lawrence McDonald said: ‘This was sexual abuse of a child. She is grown up now but it is plain from her two victim statements that this had had a really significant effect on her. She talks of suffering anxiety and depression and a diagnosis of PTSD.

‘It has clearly affected her day to day life. She explains how it has caused stress, distress and that she struggles with eating and struggles with relationships, and all of this is because she was abused as a child by the two of you.

‘The law is there to protect young people from having inappropriate sexual relationships because of the long lasting and lifetime harm it can cause to them.'”
Woman, 62, who sexually abused her foster daughter when she was 15 and allowed victim’s uncle to have sex with her as the three of them shared a bed is jailed for seven years
[Daily Mail 3/29/23 by Danny Barazaa]

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