Michael Burke, now aged 66, committed offences against three girls who at the time of the abuse were school-aged.

Offences against two of the victim-survivors occurred in the mid-to-late 1990s, with the most recent offending occurring within the last decade.

An investigation was launched when Northumbria Police received reports from all three victim-survivors who disclosed offences ranging from sexual assault to allegations of rape.

In all of the reports, the victim-survivors described how Burke would overpower them – sometimes also assaulting them whilst they pretended to be asleep.

Burke was arrested and questioned by officers but either denied the offences or consistently answered ‘no comment’ to the questions put to him.

However, following a complex investigation by Northumbria Police’s Safeguarding Department, Burke, of Framlington Place, Newcastle, was charged in connection with the abuse.

Burke continued to deny any wrongdoing throughout the court process, even absconding whilst on bail leading him to needing to be arrested.

After standing trial at Newcastle Crown Court earlier this year in June, he was convicted of offences against all three victim-survivors.

The offences comprised of with five counts of sexual assault, two counts of rape and three counts of indecent assault – being that those offences occurred before the Sexual Offences Act was introduced in 2003

Following his conviction, he was remanded into custody.

Today (Friday), Burke returned to the same court where he was handed a 24-year prison sentence.

As part of that sentence, he will spend the rest of his life on the Sex Offenders’ Register and was handed a lifelong restraining order against all three victim-survivors.

All three victim-survivors provided Victim Personal Statements (VPS) to be read to the court which detailed the lasting impact Burke’s offending has had on their lives.

One victim-survivor described how the offences had deeply affected her mental health causing her to attempt taking her own life and also leading to a diagnosis of PTSD.

She said: “One of the worst and most long-lasting effects of what happened to me was the way it affected my understanding of consent, control and my ability to protect myself.

“The abuse did not simply remain in my childhood. It followed me into my teenage years and adulthood and influenced the way I behaved, the decisions I made and the way I viewed myself.

“For many years, I thought I had learned how to live with everything that happened. The trial changed that.

“Having to revisit that period of my life has brought back memories and emotions that I had spent years learning how to manage. I have experienced sleepless nights and a significant deterioration in my wellbeing.”

Another victim-survivor described how after the offences took place, she could see Burke was ‘a very evil man’.

“I can no longer sleep, I would stay awake all night, when I did eventually fall off, I would wake up soon after, I would see him in my dreams. I could never sleep as I thought he would get to me,” she said.

She added: “I do not have the life I wanted, this is down to him, I am messed up but want to get better and will continue to try.

“I hope this statement has shown the court how much Michael has changed my life, I wanted a normal life which I know I have not had, this is down to him.”

The third victim-survivor detailed how she attempted to cope with the offences at the time.

She said: “The way I tried to deal with this was to just try and put it in the back of my head. I became so angry towards everyone, I was upset all the time, I also did not know who I could trust anymore.

“When we had the trial, I was scared, I felt we would not be believed and he would get away with it.

“I felt at times like giving up. Since the trial, I have had a lot of nightmares, I see his face, I wake up thinking he is on top of me. 

“In some of my nightmares I am back in court but I am alone and he is the only other person there. I am struggling to sleep and should go to the doctors to see if they can help me.”

She finished: “I hate Michael Burke for what he has to me. I cannot put into words how much damage he has done. I have so much anger and hate towards him, he has caused that much damage we will never be the same again because of what he has done to us all.”

Leading the investigation was Detective Constable Colin Lether, of Northumbria Police.

Speaking after Burke’s sentencing hearing, he said:

“Despite how much time has passed between the initial offending and the most recent, it has become clear that Michael Burke is a paedophile with a sustained interest in young girls.

“It’s evident from the testimonies of the victim-survivors just how much Burke’s offending has and continues to affect them.”

Det Con Lether added:

“I am pleased that Burke’s horrific offending has finally come to light thanks to the bravery of these three women coming forward and allowing police to investigate.

“All three have finally had the chance to put their abuser before the courts and to seek justice – I hope they can now move forward in whatever way they may be able.”

Anyone who has experienced any form of sexual abuse, whether recent or non-recent, should contact police using the ‘Report’ pages on the Northumbria Police website, or send the Force a direct message on social media.

Anyone unable to report this way should call 101. In an emergency, or if a crime is ongoing, always call 999.

To report a crime anonymously, contact independent charity Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111 or by visiting their website.