ALAN HEALEY, DANGEROUS PAEDOPHILE FROM DAREN, FIGHTS CONVICTIONS IN LONDON COURT

In a significant legal development, Alan Joseph Healey, a man from Darwen, has been granted permission to challenge his convictions related to a series of heinous child sexual offenses. The decision was made by a panel of three judges—Lord Justice Aikens, Mr Justice Keith, and Mrs Justice Thirlwall—sitting at London's Criminal Appeal Court. This marks the first step in Healey's attempt to overturn the convictions that have haunted him since his sentencing.

Healey, aged 47 at the time of the appeal, was originally sentenced at Preston Crown Court on May 18, 2005. The jury found him guilty of nine counts of indecent assault, 11 counts of indecency with a child, and three counts of attempted rape. The crimes were alleged to have been committed over a span of 17 years, involving a young boy under the age of 10. Healey has consistently maintained his innocence, denying all allegations against him.

The appeal court has granted Healey permission to challenge his convictions on four specific grounds. Among these are concerns regarding the use of character evidence presented during the trial and the instructions given by the trial judge, particularly considering the significant 18-year delay between the alleged offenses and their reporting to authorities. The judges acknowledged the seriousness of these issues, with Lord Justice Aikens stating, “We consider that these are arguable grounds.”

He further explained, “We have considered whether or not we should grant leave given the very long period of time since these convictions. We have come to the conclusion that it is ultimately in the interests of justice that leave to appeal be granted to argue the four proposed grounds.”

Back in May 2005, Healey was described as a “dangerous” paedophile who had groomed and repeatedly abused three young boys. The court heard that Healey’s actions included indecent touching and encouraging the victims to do the same to him. The jury took just under four hours—specifically three hours and 42 minutes—to convict him of all charges after a six-day trial. The victims, who displayed remarkable bravery in coming forward and giving evidence, were not present in court for the verdict.

During the trial, the boys recounted how Healey’s abuse had profoundly affected their lives. The prosecution argued that Healey used grooming tactics to manipulate the boys and that his intimidating personality allowed him to dominate them. Healey, who showed no visible emotion when the verdicts were read, maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings, claiming that the boys were lying.

Judge Russell, presiding over the case, emphasized the gravity of the crimes and the need for a severe sentence. He stated, “It is a verdict with which I wholly agree. These are very serious and grave matters which call for severe punishment. These children didn’t know who to turn to for help and will be disturbed as a result of your actions. The sentence is consistent with the seriousness of the offences.”

Healey was convicted of eight counts of indecent assault, 11 counts of indecency with a child, and three attempted rapes. The jury reached unanimous decisions on 16 counts after deliberating for 135 minutes, but required additional time and majority verdicts for the remaining six. An additional count of indecency with a child was discharged due to a lack of consensus among the jurors.

It was initially reported that Healey faced over 30 counts involving three other child complainants. However, the Crown Prosecution Service later revealed that no evidence was presented in those cases, and Healey was found not guilty of any charges related to them.

Commenting on the case, Darwen CID’s Detective Sergeant Paul Withers expressed his satisfaction with the outcome. He described Healey as a “dangerous, dangerous man” and praised the case for highlighting historic abuse. “We are very pleased. This case showed historic abuse and the right sentence was given. The seriousness of this case was huge because of the number of victims and the time it went on for,” he said, emphasizing the importance of justice for the victims and the community.