A Co Down couple have been handed suspended sentences for child cruelty offences against two foster children.
Alan Dilworth (56) and his 57-year-old wife Rika Dilworth, both of Loughbrickland Road, Gilford, had previously pleaded guilty to two charges.
The offences were committed against two girls between 2014 and 2019.
Judge Gordon Kerr KC suspended the 18 month sentences for two years.
Belfast Crown Court heard that the couple made their formal application for fostering in June 2009.
Following this, they started to regularly foster children, initially on a monthly basis and then fortnightly.
In June 2014, the two complainants, ‘Girl A’, who was aged 11, and ‘Girl B’, who was seven, moved from a short-termed placement into the care of the Dilworth’s on a long term basis.
The court was told that the girls were “well cared for” and no significant issues were raised. During a review in July 2016, “positive comments” were made about the couple.
In May 2017, two other children were fostered by the Dilworth’s and they initially appeared to have settled and the complainants in the case were said to be “happy with the situation”.
However, the court heard that this appeared to have been the “catalyst for a deterioration in the family dynamic and appeared to have taken its toll on the defendants”.
In victim impact statements, both complainants said the behaviour of the defendants “became intolerable, became aggressive and became frightening”.
One of the girls referred to having suffered “flashbacks, nightmares and stress” because of the abuse she received.
Through their guilty pleas, the court was told, the defendants accepted they could not cope with the demands and needs of the children and resorted to “repeated screaming and shouting” as a way of trying to control and discipline them.
They accepted that their aggressive behaviour amounted to “emotional abuse and ill-treatment”.
Defence counsel Charles MacCreanor KC said the couple “took on too much” and “could not cope”.
Judge Kerr said: “This is a serious breach of trust case. Behaviour of this sort towards children will not be tolerated.”