Graham Tardif

Graham Tardif, a 78-year-old man from Failsworth, was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court for a series of historic sex offences committed against three schoolgirls over a 20-year period beginning in the late 1990s. Tardif, who had been convicted following a trial, faced charges including rape of a girl under 16, three counts of indecent assault of a girl under 14, indecent assault of a girl under 16, sexual assault by touching, and four counts of sexual assault of a girl under 13 by penetration.

The court heard harrowing details of the abuse, with one incident involving Tardif touching a girl between her legs while telling her that 'boys were not allowed to touch her there'. Judge Kate Cornell described this as 'an act of physical dominance'. Tardif subsequently raped the girl. The victims, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, provided powerful victim personal statements detailing the lasting impact of the abuse.

One survivor read her statement in court, stating: 'I am on edge constantly. I have constant flashbacks of what happened to me at the hands of him. I was a child when the abuse started, I had my innocence taken away from me. Every single day is a struggle. I was a victim. I was a warrior and I have had to get this far. But now I am a survivor.' Another woman, who came forward after the initial report, described struggling to trust people and express emotions as a result of the abuse she suffered as a child. A third victim remarked: 'You took advantage of small hearts and manipulated them. I don't feel sorry for you, I pity you.'

During the proceedings, Tardif shook his head in denial, prompting Judge Cornell to retort: 'You may shake your head, but these are the facts and the jury found you guilty of the offences.' When Tardif protested from the dock, saying 'It's not right', the judge shut him down: 'I don't want to hear from you now. These are the facts of which you have been convicted.' His barrister, Michael Goldwater, noted Tardif's health issues, including a spinal injury from 1984, and suggested he was likely to die in prison, attributing it to 'his own fault'. Goldwater also mentioned Tardif's post-war upbringing amid 'severe hardship' and family support, contrasting it with the victims' portrayal of him as a 'monster'.

In her sentencing remarks, Judge Cornell addressed Tardif directly: 'You have broken a part of all of them. That they are able to move past this in any way is a testament to their strength. You continue to deny the offending.' Tardif, of Stephenson Street, Failsworth, was jailed for 14 years, required to serve two-thirds in custody before release on licence. He was made subject to an indefinite restraining order against the victims and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life. The case was reported by the Manchester Evening News, highlighting the judge's eight-word blast in response to Tardif's denial.