DAVE MCKENNA AND STEPHEN SULLIVAN SHOCK DARWEN WITH SEX OFFENSES AND KIDNAPPING

In a disturbing series of events that have rocked the town of Darwen, two men, David McKenna and Stephen Sullivan, found themselves at the center of serious criminal investigations involving child endangerment and abduction.

In December 2018, Sullivan, a known sex offender, was sentenced at Preston Crown Court after a troubling incident where he was left alone with children in a residential setting. Sullivan, aged 28, had previously been subjected to a sexual harm prevention order in 2015 due to his involvement in creating indecent images of a child. Despite this, he failed to notify the authorities that he was residing in a house with three young children, raising significant concerns about his supervision and the safety of the minors.

The court heard that Sullivan had gone to the home of a woman after a Facebook conversation led her to invite him over. Sullivan, who was residing on South Street in Darwen, then engaged in a sexual relationship with her sister. During his stay, which lasted three nights, Sullivan was left unattended with the children while their mother went shopping. The mother was aware of Sullivan’s previous convictions, and although there was no evidence of any misconduct during his time alone with the children, the situation was deemed highly inappropriate.

Prosecutor Paul Cummings described the circumstances, stating, “Some kind of romantic liaison was taking place between the defendant and the sister of the woman who lived in the house. The woman, a mother, had three children aged six, four, and two in the house. He was observed play fighting with the children and at one point allowed a young boy to sit on his knee. But particular concern was raised when he was left alone with the children.”

Further details revealed that the sisters had left Sullivan alone with the children while they went shopping. During their absence, friends of the family visited the home and became alarmed upon discovering Sullivan, a man they had never seen before, left with the children. The state of the house was also a matter of concern, as it was described as dirty and in disrepair. The sisters returned to find the situation distressing and immediately contacted the police. It was at this point that authorities became aware of Sullivan’s presence and the breach of safety.

Sullivan pleaded guilty to breaching his sexual harm prevention order and a suspended sentence order. Judge Simon Newall presided over the case, expressing his concern about the incident. He stated, “When the mother returned from shopping and her children were not there, she felt as though her children had been kidnapped. The two people who had taken the children after they became concerned were friends of the children’s father. It seemed like the responsible thing of them to have done. The father now has custody of the children after social services became involved.”

As a result, Sullivan was sentenced to 14 months in prison.

In a separate but equally troubling case from January 2014, two men from Darwen pleaded guilty to abducting a 14-year-old boy. The court heard that Stephen Sullivan, then 23 and residing on Entwistle Street, Darwen, persuaded the teenager to meet him during the night. Sullivan then provided the boy with alcohol, which further compromised his safety. The pair subsequently headed to Sullivan’s residence for more drinks before walking to a flat on Bridge Street, where the situation escalated.

At the flat, Sullivan, along with another man, David McKenna, engaged in inappropriate and sexual behavior with the minor. McKenna, who had spent four months in custody prior to the hearing, was accused of sexual activity with the boy. The court described how Sullivan began kissing the teenager in a manner the boy described as ‘proper full on kissing,’ leaving a love bite on his neck and a bite on his lip. Both men admitted to abducting the child, with McKenna also admitting to sexual activity with a minor.

Preston Crown Court sentenced both Sullivan and McKenna to community orders with two years of supervision. Judge Anthony Russell acknowledged that more serious charges had initially been considered but were ultimately dropped. He emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating, “It is a very, very different case from the one that appeared to be the case.”

Addressing Sullivan directly, the judge said, “You should not have invited a 14-year-old boy to leave his house in the middle of the night. It was an irresponsible act which could have led to serious consequences for him because you were out and about in Darwen at night. He was out of the control of his mother.”

Defense lawyer Daniel King told the court that Sullivan had shown ‘genuine remorse’ and had ‘learnt an important lesson,’ while McKenna’s representative highlighted his remorse and the lessons learned from the incident. The court’s decisions reflect the seriousness with which these offenses are regarded, especially given the vulnerability of the young victim involved in the 2014 case.