DARREN ETWELL SENTENCED FOR SEX OFFENSES IN KIDDERMINSTER AND WORCESTER
In May 2015, Darren Etwell, a convicted sex offender, was released from prison and has since been residing in Kidderminster, raising concerns about his reintegration into the community.Earlier, in July 2014, Etwell, then 32 years old and living in Birches Coppice, Kidderminster, was convicted at Worcester Crown Court of engaging in a sexual act in front of a young child.
The court heard that Etwell, who was unemployed at the time, had told a five-year-old boy that masturbating was a good thing to do while he was performing the act on his bed in the child's presence.
The court was unable to determine whether this was a one-time incident or if it had occurred multiple times over a period.
During the trial, the judge dismissed Etwell's account of events, concluding that he committed the act for his own sexual gratification.
As a result, he was sentenced to 18 months in prison and was ordered to register as a sex offender for a period of ten years.
In November 2014, Etwell attempted to appeal his sentence, arguing that it was unfair to impose the jail term without first having a probation report.
The appeal was heard by a panel of judges, including Mr Justice Coulson and Mr Justice Jay, who reviewed the report prepared for the court.
The report revealed that Etwell remained unrepentant and continued to blame others for his actions, which the judges found concerning.
Mr Justice Coulson stated that Etwell did not do himself any favors during his discussion with the report's author and that he did not accept responsibility for his crime.
The report also assessed him as presenting a high risk of causing serious harm to children.
Etwell's legal team argued that his 18-month sentence was excessive and that he might have been suitable for a suspended sentence.
However, the judges concluded that the report did not support his case and that the original sentence was appropriate.
They emphasized that the court's recorder was in the best position to decide whether a suspended sentence was suitable.
By July 2015, Darren Etwell had served his sentence and was released back into the community in Kidderminster, where he continues to live under the shadow of his past offenses, raising ongoing concerns about public safety and the effectiveness of rehabilitation efforts.
