Meanock’s cruel reign as strict step-father

A CRUEL step-father subjected a young boy to a regime of intimidation and violence over a period spanning up to seven years.

Gary Meanock (36), who lived at a number of addresses in the Oldham area, punched and kicked the youngster whenever he took exception to something he did, once chased him around the house with a hammer, shot at him with an air rifle, and sent him to his room on Christmas Day without allowing him to eat, a court was told.

After moving in with the boy’s mother, he introduced strict rules including banning the boy and his sister from talking at the dinner table, or talking once they had been sent to their rooms at night. If they disobeyed they were punished.

His stepson, Matthew Meanock, now 19, was once grounded for a period of six weeks when he was 11, and not allowed out of the house.

Minshull Street Crown Court was told he had cups and plates thrown at him, and had a bell in his room which he had to ring if he wanted to come downstairs.

Meanock, now living in Blackpool, has been convicted by a trial jury of assaulting and ill-treating the youth in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to his health.

The unanimous verdict came at the end of a two-day trial. Meanock will be sentenced later.

The court had been told that he moved in with the family in 2000, a year before he married the children’s’ mother Karen.

They regularly moved house, living at a range of addresses including Longfellow Crescent, Oldham, London Road, Derker, Oldham, and Kipling Road and Lees Road, Oldham.

Barry Darby, prosecuting, said tattooed Meanock, who is unable to work because of knee problems which make it difficult for him to walk, was at first pleasant.

As time went on however, he began to be first verbally abusive, and his behaviour then escalated into increasing violence.

He said: “His behaviour went beyond anything that would be justified as lawful punishment. It amounted to violence and cruelty. It was unpredictable, but also sustained and systematic over the years.”

He said the youngster’s mother Karen failed to take any action to stop the violence.

Matthew, who was aged about eight when Meanock came into his young life, escaped from the household when he was 14 or 15, eventually returning to the family home after around 18 months.

Mr Darby said however: “This all eventually became too much, and police finally became involved.”

He said Meanock when interviewed about allegations against him, maintained the boy had never received violence or cruelty at his hands.

Mr Darby told a jury: “The Crown say the youngster’s version of events is truthful. Meanock was head of the household and was clearly responsible. He assaulted him and ill treated him over the years,and did so quite deliberately.”

Matthew’s sister Victoria, who now lives independently from her mother and stepfather, supported her brother’s story in court.

She said he and Meanock had “clashed” and life was often violent in the household. She was not victimised, because she did not answer back and did as she was told.

Meanock, who denied any wrongdoing beyond administering the occasional slap, told the court his wife had been head of the household, in all ways, including having responsibility for discipline.

He accepted the silence at table instruction, saying it was a “good old-fashioned” rule.