LIAM HARGREAVES FROM WHITEHAVEN AND CARLISLE JAILED FOR SEXUAL OFFENSES INVOLVING SCHOOLGIRLS

In June 2011, Liam Hargreaves, a man originally from Whitehaven and later residing in Colmore Street, Denton Holme, Carlisle, was sentenced to four years in prison after admitting to serious sexual offenses involving underage girls. The court proceedings took place at Carlisle Crown Court, where Hargreaves, aged 21, faced multiple charges related to his predatory behavior towards minors.

Hargreaves was also placed on the sex offenders’ register, a legal requirement for individuals convicted of sexual crimes, and was disqualified from working with children. Additionally, he received an indefinite ban from having any unsupervised contact—whether in person, via the internet, through social media platforms like Facebook, or through text messaging—with anyone under the age of 16. These measures were put in place to prevent any further harm and to monitor his activities closely.

The court heard disturbing details about Hargreaves’s offending pattern. His first known victim was a girl he encountered in June of the previous year. She was walking home with her friends, all of whom were still dressed in their school uniforms. Hargreaves arranged to meet her later that evening. When they met, he lured her into an alleyway and offered her alcohol, which he used to intoxicate her. Once in the secluded spot, he pulled her around a corner and subjected her to groping, an act that caused significant concern for her safety and well-being.

While still on bail for this initial offense, Hargreaves continued his predatory behavior. In October, he befriended another young girl through Facebook. Over a series of messages, he sent her sexually explicit texts, further demonstrating his intent and pattern of exploitation. When they eventually met, Hargreaves took her into a wooded area. Despite her being only 13 years old, he engaged in sexual intercourse with her, an act that compounded the severity of his crimes.

During the court hearing, Hargreaves’s defense lawyer, Greg Hoare, described his client’s attitude as immature. He pointed out that Hargreaves, who has a 15-month-old son with his girlfriend, exhibited behavior that was less than responsible. Hoare emphasized that both Hargreaves and his partner had “an attitude which is less than mature,” and suggested that his client’s actions were influenced by a failure to adhere to societal norms and responsibilities. The lawyer also noted that Hargreaves had ignored the usual parameters of adult life, behaving as if he were still a teenager.

Judge Paul Batty QC delivered a stern judgment, condemning Hargreaves’s actions. He stated, “It is perfectly plain that you were targeting children in school uniform and plying them with alcohol. At a time when you had had a fall-out with your partner, and in order to get back at her, you set out to have sex with children. It is difficult to imagine a more irresponsible thing to do.” The judge’s comments underscored the gravity of Hargreaves’s offenses and the danger posed by his conduct, which exploited vulnerable minors and demonstrated a blatant disregard for their safety and well-being.