JOHN DRURY'S CRIMES IN COLCHESTER: PAEDOPHILE'S LONG HISTORY OF OFFENSES AND BREACHES

In July 2019, a 94-year-old man named John Drury from Colchester faced serious allegations and convictions related to his past criminal behavior involving sexual offenses against minors. His history of offending spans over decades, with multiple convictions and breaches of court orders designed to protect children from his predatory behavior.

John Drury was initially convicted in October 2005 of 11 counts of indecent assault and two counts of gross indecency, all involving young girls under the age of 16. As part of his sentencing, he was placed on the Sex Offenders Register and was subject to a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO), which was to remain in effect indefinitely. This order explicitly prohibited him from seeking or being in the company of any child under 16 without the presence of a parent or guardian. Furthermore, Drury was barred from communicating with minors under 16 without explicit permission from their guardians, who needed to be fully aware of his sexual convictions.

Despite these restrictions, Drury repeatedly breached the court orders. One notable incident occurred on February 9, 2018, when he engaged in a conversation with a teenage girl on a bus in Colchester. During this encounter, he expressed a desire to be her boyfriend, which was a clear violation of the SHPO. The girl, who was 14 at the time, recounted that Drury approached her on the bus, chose to sit next to her despite the availability of empty seats, and initiated a conversation by asking her name and her school. He then offered her a sweet, which she declined, before asking if she had a boyfriend. Drury further stated that if he were in her school and year, he would like to be her boyfriend. The girl told police that initially she thought Drury was simply a lonely old man, but as the conversation continued, she felt increasingly uncomfortable. She described his comments about wanting to marry her as “getting a bit creepy.”

In December 2018, Drury was involved in another breach when he approached a group of seven schoolchildren singing Christmas carols on Mersea Road in Colchester. The court heard that within five minutes of the children singing, Drury approached them and began talking to them, asking about their schools and claiming to have been involved in the D-Day landings. These actions directly contravened the terms of his 2011 sexual harm prevention order, which explicitly prohibited him from engaging in conversations with children.

John Drury, who formerly resided on Mersea Road, faced charges of two counts of breaching his sexual harm prevention order. He denied these allegations and stood trial at Chelmsford Crown Court beginning on July 1. The court proceedings revealed his extensive criminal history, including his 2005 convictions for multiple counts of indecent assault and gross indecency. On July 3, he was found guilty and subsequently remanded in custody, with sentencing scheduled for July 22.

During the trial, additional disturbing details emerged. It was reported that Drury, at age 94, approached a 14-year-old schoolgirl on a bus in Colchester, offering her sweets and expressing a desire to marry her. The jury learned that Drury deliberately sat next to her on the Number 8 Arriva bus despite the presence of many empty seats. The prosecutor, Samantha Lowther, described how Drury initiated a conversation, asking her name, her school, and whether she had a boyfriend. The girl recounted that Drury told her, “If I was in your school I would like to be your boyfriend,” and later said he would like to marry her. The girl initially thought Drury was just a lonely old man but grew uncomfortable as his comments became more personal and inappropriate.

In December 2018, Drury’s breaches continued when he entered a Co-op store on Mersea Road, where a group of children aged between 10 and 11 were singing Christmas carols. The court heard that he approached the children, asked about their schools, and claimed to have participated in the D-Day landings. These actions were in direct violation of his court order, which had been issued in 2011 to prevent him from talking to children.

Earlier, in November 2015, Drury, then aged 91, failed to convince the Court of Appeal that he should be released from prison due to his age and health issues. He had been convicted in 2005 of multiple counts of indecent assault and gross indecency involving young girls. After serving a four-year sentence, he was released in 2008 but continued to breach his sexual harm prevention order. His repeated violations, including speaking to an 11-year-old boy at a bus stop and inviting him over, led to multiple jail terms, including an eight-month sentence in 2012 and a 12-month conditional discharge in 2017. His latest breach in December 2018 resulted in a 12-month jail sentence, which was added to his previous sentences, totaling two years of incarceration.

Throughout these proceedings, Drury’s defense argued that his advanced age, frailty, and extensive war record, including service in the RAF, should mitigate his punishment. His lawyer highlighted that he takes numerous medications daily, is profoundly deaf, easily confused, and suffers from deteriorating memory and physical health. The defense requested that his remaining sentence be suspended and that he be placed under curfew, citing his inability to cope with prison conditions. However, the court, presided over by Judge Juliet May QC, rejected these arguments, emphasizing that Drury’s repeated breaches demonstrated a clear disregard for court orders and the safety of children. The judge affirmed that his sentence was justified and that public safety must take precedence.

John Drury’s case underscores the persistent challenge authorities face in monitoring and managing convicted sex offenders, especially those with a long history of violations. His repeated breaches and the court’s rulings highlight the importance of strict enforcement of protective orders and the ongoing efforts to prevent further harm to vulnerable children in Colchester and beyond.