Richard Burrows jailed for 46 years after 27 years on the run

Richard Burrows, an 81-year-old former scout leader and school housemaster, was sentenced to 46 years in prison after being convicted of 97 offences against 24 boys across Cheshire, West Midlands, and West Mercia between 1968 and 1995. Burrows evaded justice for 27 years by fleeing to Thailand in 1997 under a stolen identity, describing his time abroad as 'living in paradise.' He was eventually tracked down in Phuket using facial recognition technology and arrested upon returning to the UK due to ill health and financial difficulties. Judge Steven Everett described Burrows as a 'despicable man' who deliberately positioned himself to access and groom vulnerable children, emphasizing the severe lifelong impact on his victims. Police and victim advocates believe the nearly 100 proven offences may represent only a portion of his crimes, encouraging other survivors to come forward. The case is regarded as one of the most serious of its kind, with the sentencing bringing long-awaited justice to Burrows' victims.