A 46-year-old woman described by a judge as showing neither remorse nor insight into the catastrophic harm inflicted on two young girls has been sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment at Liverpool Crown Court for child cruelty.
Paula Lister, of West Park, St Helens, Merseyside, appeared via video link for sentence after a jury found her guilty of two counts of child cruelty following a Crown Court trial.
The court was told that Lister knowingly permitted her partner, Melvin Miller, to repeatedly rape and sexually assault two children over an extended period spanning several years. The prosecution outlined that Miller captured extensive recordings of his sexual abuse, with Lister clearly visible in the background of at least one video. Due to chronic ill-health and social isolation, Lister was almost constantly present in the home while the offending occurred, yet made no attempt to intervene, alert authorities, or safeguard the victims.
Passing sentence, Judge Neil Flewitt KC firmly dismissed suggestions that Lister had been coerced or controlled by Miller, finding instead that she consciously chose to turn a blind eye to secure an easy and undisturbed life. Remarking that he could not imagine a worse case of child cruelty, the judge noted Lister had displayed no genuine remorse.
The devastating impact of the abuse was outlined in personal impact statements read before the court. One survivor described having to legally change her identity to move forward, suffering from severe insomnia and enduring psychological damage. A mother of one victim directly addressed Lister in court, calling her a monster who cared only for herself while praising the courage of her daughter.
Melvin Miller, 51, was previously jailed for 16 years in 2020 for sexual offences against the girls. He later received a 15-year concurrent sentence in 2022 and an 11-year concurrent term in 2025 as the victims disclosed the full scale of the historical abuse in stages.
Under the provisions of Section 49 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 and the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1992, all child victims and complainants connected to criminal proceedings are protected by automatic, lifelong statutory anonymity. Publishing, broadcasting, or disseminating any details, names, addresses, educational facilities, or photographs capable of leading to public identification is strictly prohibited under UK law.
Lister was convicted of:
- Two counts of child cruelty
Rejecting defence submissions for concurrent sentences, Judge Neil Flewitt KC imposed two consecutive seven-year custodial terms, resulting in an immediate sentence of 14 years’ imprisonment.
Alongside the custodial sentence, the court ordered:
- A 15-year restraining order barring any contact with one victim
- Statutory post-custody licence supervision conditions upon release from prison
Image – Anonymous Artist Impression
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