Narara: Child sex abuse couple Paul and Julia Bamforth face Gosford District Court

A man who pleaded guilty to 65 counts of shocking sexual abuse of a boy over five years is contemplating changing his plea on the eve of his sentencing, a court has heard.

Paul and Julia Bamforth, of Narara, are facing sentencing in the District Court for child sexual abuse. Picture: supplied

A man who allegedly plied a young boy with drugs so he and his wife could sexually abuse him over a prolonged period of “years” is contemplating reversing his plea on dozens of charges, a court has heard.

Husband and wife Paul and Julia Bamforth were due to face a sentencing hearing at Gosford District Court on Friday after pleading guilty in the Local Court to more than 60 counts each of horrific sexual abuse of a boy with a cognitive impairment.

However the court heard Paul Robert Bamforth, 50, had recently changed his legal team and was now considering “traversing” his guilty pleas to up to 21 charges.

Judge David Wilson described the situation as “unsatisfactory” and instructed the Crown prosecutor to ensure offenders were arraigned on their first appearance in the District Court to avoid the same thing happening again on the eve of their sentencing.

He told Paul Bamforth’s barrister that his client was facing an “overwhelming Crown case” and “risked” losing a 25 per cent discount afforded to offenders who plead guilty at an early opportunity.

The house on Gilda Drive, Narara, where Paul and Julia Bamforth allegedly sexually abused the boy over a number of years. Picture: NewsLocal

Judge Wilson also said Paul Bamforth also risked losing any findings of “remorse and contrition” which the court may take into account in deciding his ultimate punishment.

The court heard Paul Bamforth had signed each page of a lengthy agreed set of facts and entered guilty pleas in the Local Court to 65 charges including 21 counts of aggravated sexual intercourse between 2016 and 2021.

Cash, drugs and weapons were seized

Pictures: NSW Police

However the court heard there had been some “minor” changes to the agreed facts and given he had not been arraigned in the higher jurisdiction, he could still apply to traverse his pleas.

He was adjourned for arraignment on March 2.

His 49-year-old wife meanwhile was arraigned on Friday in which she buried her head in her hands often as 46 offences were read out and she confirmed her plea of “guilty” to each count.

These included 35 counts of aggravated sexual intercourse with a victim ranging from when he was 12 to 15, often in company, and often knowing he did not consent to the intercourse because he was cognitively impaired.

A further 21 charges — including possessing prohibited weapons and drugs — were included on a “form 1” document to be taken into account when she is sentenced.

Pictures: NSW Police

Some of the knives seized.

An agreed set of facts in her case states she plied a young boy — she referred to as a “retard” because of his intellectual impairment — and filmed herself having sex with him at her house between 2016 and 2021.

The gravity of her shocking offending only became apparent, according to court documents, when Brisbane Water Police raided her Gilda Drive address at Narara on February 26, 2021, looking for weapons and drugs.

Police seized a number of weapons including a “zombie sword” and other knives, along with testosterone and other drugs, along with a mobile phone, which contained videos of child abuse.

The discovery prompted police to establish Strike Force Bloomsbury to investigate the full extent of the alleged abuse of the child.

Julia Bamforth was adjourned for sentence on February 22.