JOHN BARNETT FROM ANGLESEY AND BARMOUTH SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENSES AND DANGEROUS DRIVING

In a significant legal case heard at Caernarfon Crown Court, John Barnett, aged 54, was sentenced to a six-year prison term after being found guilty of serious child sexual offenses. The court also imposed a lifelong ban on any form of contact with children, emphasizing the severity of his crimes and the need for ongoing protection of minors in the community.

Judge Huw Daniel delivered the verdict, stating that Barnett had engaged in grooming behavior towards an eight-year-old boy. The judge expressed satisfaction that recent legislative changes now recognize grooming as a specific criminal offense, underscoring the importance of addressing such predatory conduct. As part of his sentence, Barnett was ordered to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life, a measure designed to monitor and restrict his future interactions with minors.

The six-year sentence was specifically for indecently assaulting the young boy. Additionally, Barnett received a concurrent three-month sentence for possessing an indecent pseudo-photograph, which was discovered during a police search of his residence. The pseudo-image was found in a scrapbook after police searched his home following his false confession to a murder. Barnett, who previously resided in Holyhead, Anglesey, and at King’s Crescent in Barmouth, Gwynedd, claimed that the fake image was intended as a deterrent to prevent him from acting on his sexual preferences for boys.

Further details revealed that Barnett had a troubling history of sexual offenses. In 1971, he was placed on probation for three years after being convicted of indecent assault and gross indecency involving a boy while serving as superintendent of a children’s home in Hackney, London. His criminal record also includes a conviction in 1990 at Canterbury Crown Court, where he was sentenced to one year in prison for attempted gross indecency with a boy and for persuading two children to live with him without parental consent.

In addition to his sexual offenses, Barnett was sentenced for dangerous driving. He was convicted of driving at speeds reaching up to 100 mph, sometimes on the hard shoulder, on the M6 and M5 motorways near Birmingham, in an attempt to evade police pursuit. For this reckless behavior, he received a concurrent nine-month jail sentence, was banned from driving for three years, and was ordered to pass an extended driving test before regaining his license.

During the proceedings, Barnett’s defense lawyer, John Hedgecoe, acknowledged his client’s admission of being a paedophile. The defense also highlighted that Barnett had sought psychiatric help prior to the indecent assault charges. Hedgecoe suggested that Barnett’s mental health issues might have been exacerbated by his experiences serving in the army in Northern Ireland during the 1970s, where he witnessed violence and killings.

Judge Daniel expressed hope that Barnett would benefit from a sex offenders’ treatment program while incarcerated. However, he also remarked on the uncertain impact such programs might have on someone with Barnett’s history. Ultimately, the judge sentenced Barnett to an extended six-year prison term, emphasizing the importance of protecting children. The court’s order included a strict prohibition on any contact with minors for the rest of Barnett’s life, explicitly forbidding him from working in environments where children are present, effectively implementing a comprehensive ban on any future contact with young people.