JOHN OLIVER FROM BENFLEET FIGHTS RELEASE AS POLICE SEEK SEXUAL OFFENCES PREVENTION ORDER

In August 2010, authorities in Essex are actively opposing a bid for freedom by John Oliver, a convicted sex offender currently detained at Clare House in Pound Lane, North Benfleet. Oliver, aged 69, has been under mental health detention under the Mental Health Act, which allows him to apply for release after a period of confinement. However, his potential release has raised serious concerns among law enforcement officials, prompting them to seek additional restrictions to safeguard the public.

Just under a year prior, Oliver managed to escape from his carers and was on the run for eight days, an incident that heightened fears about his potential danger to the community. His history of absconding from mental health facilities, including three separate escapes within four months from a hospital in Beckton, East London, in 2008, underscores the ongoing risks associated with his case.

Most notably, in September 2009, Oliver escaped again while on a supervised outing to Basildon town centre. These repeated incidents of absconding have contributed to the concerns expressed by police and mental health authorities about his suitability for release. A leaked letter from Essex Police’s Detective Chief Inspector Darrin Thomkins, addressed to the North Essex Mental Health Partnership, described Oliver as an “intelligent, devious, uncontrollable, sexual predator” who “regularly preyed on vulnerable individuals.” The letter also warned that releasing him into the community would be “dangerous.”

Oliver’s criminal record includes a two-year probation order issued in 1998 after he was convicted of indecently assaulting a 12-year-old girl. Since then, he has been placed in mental health care, where his history of escape has continued to cause concern. The police have now applied for a Sexual Offences Prevention Order at Southend Magistrates’ Court. This legal measure is designed to restrict the movements and activities of convicted sex offenders to prevent further harm.

The application, submitted by Essex Police, requests the court to impose restrictions on Oliver’s behavior, including prohibiting him from working with children and limiting his ability to move freely within the community. The police argue that Oliver poses a “great risk to the public,” especially considering his previous breaches of containment and the potential danger he represents.

While Oliver has opposed the police’s application, a temporary order has been granted, placing restrictions on him until a full hearing scheduled for next month. A police spokesperson confirmed, “We can confirm that we did apply for an order and that an interim order was granted. These orders are designed to prevent and minimise the harm to the public that an offender poses by controlling the behaviour of the subject of the order.”

As the case proceeds, the court will decide whether to impose the Sexual Offences Prevention Order permanently. The authorities remain vigilant, emphasizing the importance of measures that protect vulnerable members of the community from individuals like John Oliver. The management at Clare House, operated by St Andrew’s Healthcare, declined to comment on the ongoing legal proceedings.