LUKE MCHUGH SENTENCED IN LIVERPOOL FOR TERRIFYING BREAK-IN AND ATTEMPTED SEXUAL ASSAULT
A 20-year-old convicted sex offender, Luke McHugh, who was supposed to be kept in secure accommodation on Knowsley's Longmeadow Road and prevented from leaving without supervision, managed to escape by tampering with a window.In July of last year, he used a ladder to climb into a bedroom of a house in the local area, intending to sexually assault two sleeping young girls.
Liverpool Crown Court heard that McHugh's plan was carefully premeditated over several days.
Prosecutor Nardeen Nemat explained that McHugh had used loud music and requested quiet time from his support workers to secretly leave his room and observe the house where his potential victims lived.
CCTV footage showed him lurking outside the home multiple times, attracted by toys visible through the windows.
On the day of the attack, McHugh climbed into the house’s back garden, used a ladder he had placed against the wall beneath a bedroom window, which was left open due to hot weather, and entered the room.
His intrusion was interrupted when the girls' father heard him and disturbed him, causing McHugh to flee back to his accommodation without being caught.
Initially, the girls’ parents were unsure about the motive, suspecting a burglary.
However, police investigations revealed CCTV footage of McHugh visiting the house on multiple occasions before the incident.
Upon his August arrest, police discovered a disturbing array of items in his room, including children's toys, underwear, nappies, condoms, and sexual lubricant.
Further investigations uncovered that McHugh had attempted to persuade an eight-year-old girl online to send him naked pictures — evidence that contributed to his history of convictions related to possessing indecent images of children.
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Nemat highlighted that McHugh’s prior offenses and deliberate planning indicated a clear intention to commit a serious sexual assault.
Probation reports described McHugh as obsessively fixated on sexual activity, with a notable sexual attraction to children.
Addressing McHugh’s mental health, defense lawyer Jonathan Duffy explained that conditions such as ADHD and autism complicated his understanding of his offending.
Duffy emphasized that McHugh acknowledged the severity of his situation, stating, "He accepts that and he understands he needs help and probably treatment and he will take any opportunity he can in prison to avail himself of those opportunities." Judge Robert Trevor-Jones described McHugh’s attack as calculated and predatory, noting he had been observing the house for days before the incident.
In referencing the girls’ mother’s impact statement, the judge called the event every parent’s nightmare, emphasizing that it was only the father’s intervention that prevented further harm.
According to the judge, the incident was stopped merely by the father waking up and seeing McHugh’s silhouette in the children's room, causing him to shout and McHugh to flee.
The judge remarked that it was fortunate neither girl woke up to see the intruder and that the father’s quick action prevented a potential catastrophe.
Concluding his sentencing, Judge Trevor-Jones stated he was convinced that McHugh intended to carry out a serious sexual assault.
McHugh, of Longmeadow Road, was given a custodial sentence of ten years — the maximum allowed for trespass with intent to commit a sexual offense.
His initial sentence of six years and eight months was extended due to his dangerousness.
He is expected to serve two-thirds of his sentence before being considered for parole.
