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DARRELL MERCER: DANGEROUS SEX OFFENDER FROM ABERGELE AND PRESTATYN SENTENCED AFTER BRUTAL ATTACKS
In August 2016, a court in Caernarfon heard harrowing details about Darrell Mercer, a 30-year-old sex offender from Water Street, Abergele, who was deemed by the presiding judge to be a significant danger to the public. Judge David Hale explicitly stated that Mercer appeared to be a 'dangerous man' at this moment, emphasizing the seriousness of his criminal conduct and the potential threat he posed. As a result, Mercer was remanded into custody until the following month, allowing time for a comprehensive pre-sentence report to be prepared to inform the court's final decision.Mercer had already pleaded guilty to multiple charges related to the possession and distribution of indecent images of children. Specifically, he admitted to three counts of downloading such images, two of which depicted infants, highlighting the disturbing nature of his offenses. During the proceedings, he also confessed to possessing indecent photographs of a child and a prohibited image of a child, further underscoring his ongoing criminal behavior. Prosecutor Matthew Curtis outlined Mercer’s criminal history, revealing that he is a registered sex offender with a long-standing record dating back to 2002, involving a nine-year-old girl. Additionally, Mercer had served a four-year prison sentence in 2013 for trespassing with intent to commit a sexual offence against a 10-year-old girl. The incident involved Mercer sneaking into the girl’s bedroom and grabbing her around the neck, an act that demonstrated his predatory tendencies.
At the time of the latest hearing, Mercer was back in prison, with his licence activated, indicating he was under supervision following his previous release. His defense lawyer, Michael Whitty, acknowledged Mercer’s mental health struggles, noting that he had spent time in the Ablett psychiatric unit at Glan Clwyd Hospital due to concerns about his psychological well-being. This context was presented to suggest that Mercer’s mental health issues might be relevant to his behavior and potential rehabilitation.
In a related and particularly disturbing case from November 2013, Mercer, then aged 28, was convicted of attempting to sexually assault a nine-year-old girl in her own bed. The court heard that Mercer had intruded into her home and grabbed her after she had been sleeping. The young girl fought back, kicking and punching Mercer, who was convicted of trespassing with intent to commit a sexual offence. The attack left her profoundly traumatized; she now refuses to sleep alone, carries a personal alarm at all times, and experiences frequent nightmares. Judge Paul Thomas QC described Mercer’s conduct as brazen and noted that he was under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time, which contributed to his lack of self-control.
During the sentencing at Mold Crown Court, which was conducted via a video link from Swansea, the judge emphasized the devastating impact of Mercer’s actions on his young victim. He pointed out that Mercer’s behavior was not only reckless but also indicative of a pattern of predatory conduct, as he had previously assaulted a nine-year-old girl when he was approximately 16 or 17 years old. The court sentenced Mercer to four years in prison and ordered him to be placed on the sex offender register for life. Furthermore, a sexual offender prevention order was issued, and the judge warned Mercer that any future sexual offenses would result in an extremely lengthy imprisonment.
The court heard that the nine-year-old girl, who was asleep in her bed, awoke to find Mercer, smelling of alcohol, crouched above her. She screamed and tried to escape, but Mercer grabbed her wrist and then her throat. Her mother, who was downstairs, heard the commotion and rushed upstairs to intervene. Mercer gave a false name, claiming he thought the house was his and that he needed to lie down because he had hurt his leg. Police were called to the scene, and Mercer was seen walking away, leaving behind a red and grey jacket and a BlackBerry mobile phone. Mercer admitted to assaulting the girl by grabbing her wrist and neck, and her mother described her as hysterical, shaking, and crying after the incident.
The victim’s mother provided a poignant victim impact statement, describing her daughter’s ongoing fear and trauma. The young girl expressed her fear of being alone, her nightmares involving men with chainsaws, and her belief that Mercer was going to suffocate her. She also stated that Mercer’s actions had fundamentally changed her life, making her cautious and anxious, especially when it gets dark. Despite being given a personal alarm by police, she still felt unsafe and vulnerable. Her mother recounted how she had been watching TV downstairs when she heard her daughter screaming and saw Mercer on the landing, attempting to deceive her with a false story about his identity.
Mercer’s defense lawyer, Simon Rogers, acknowledged that his client was considered a high risk to children. He suggested that this risk could be mitigated through abstinence from drugs and alcohol, as well as participation in an intensive sex offender treatment program, which would be a condition of Mercer’s license upon release. Judge Thomas expressed hope that these conditions would be strictly enforced and monitored, emphasizing the importance of ongoing supervision to prevent further harm.