MARCUS DALBY FROM ASHFORD AND CHATHAM INVOLVED IN SHOCKING PUBLIC SEXUAL OFFENSES AND ASSAULTS

In a series of disturbing incidents spanning several years, Marcus Dalby, a known sex offender from Ashford and Chatham, has been involved in multiple public indecencies and assaults that have shocked the local communities and prompted legal action.

Most recently, in May 2022, Dalby, who now resides on Luton Road in Chatham, was involved in an incident where he exposed his buttocks and defecated in front of a stranger. Despite the severity of his actions, Dalby was acquitted of breaching the Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) that was previously imposed on him. The order was intended to prevent him from engaging in public nudity or similar behavior, but a legal dispute over its wording led to the court ruling that Dalby had no case to answer for breaching it.

The court heard that Dalby, aged 29 at the time, had a history of sexual offenses. In 2015, he was sentenced to eight months in a Youth Offenders’ Institute after sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl in an alleyway. The young girl, who was leaving school with friends, was left alone when she entered the alley. She heard someone running behind her and was struck from behind, prompting her to defend herself with her elbows. The attacker, later identified as Dalby, ran off as she managed to see him pulling up his trousers.

Dalby’s criminal record also includes an acquittal on an earlier charge where he was accused of pulling down a woman’s trousers. Additionally, he was previously convicted of performing a sex act in front of a schoolchild on his porch. Despite these convictions, Dalby continued to engage in inappropriate and illegal behavior.

In November 2021, Dalby was involved in a particularly shocking incident near Ashford International Station. He defecated on his hands and then assaulted a woman who was walking home along a nearby path. The assault involved him touching his buttocks and defecating, with the mess on his hand, as he overtook the young woman. The court heard that Dalby then attempted to grab her by the throat while she was screaming and trying to escape. The victim, a girl in her late teens, described the terrifying encounter, stating that Dalby approached her multiple times in silence, with his hands appearing dirty and possibly contaminated with feces.

Following the incident, police identified Dalby through CCTV footage and arrested him. During police interviews, Dalby denied any wrongdoing, claiming he found the girl attractive from behind and intended to make her laugh by exposing his buttocks. He also claimed he unintentionally broke wind and tried to catch his feces, denying any assault.

Dalby’s history of disturbing behavior dates back to August 2021, when he was caught performing a sex act on his doorstep in front of a schoolchild. An eyewitness saw him with his trousers around his ankles and chased him into his home, where Dalby attempted to deny the incident by claiming it was his twin brother. The witness expressed outrage, stating, “If that was my child I would be knocking down your door.” Dalby refused to comment during police interviews, and the child involved reported feeling uncomfortable and frightened by his actions.

Throughout his criminal history, Dalby has repeatedly demonstrated a pattern of inappropriate and illegal conduct in public spaces. In July 2015, he was convicted of a sex assault on an 11-year-old girl in an alleyway, for which he received an eight-month sentence. The girl bravely fought off the attack with her elbows, and her detailed victim impact statement highlighted the long-lasting trauma caused by the incident.

Legal proceedings have often highlighted the concerning nature of Dalby’s behavior. In one case, Judge Rupert Lowe remarked that if the facts of a dismissed case about Dalby performing sex acts on his doorstep are accurate, it indicates a pattern of behavior that is “only the tip of the iceberg.” The judge emphasized that Dalby’s actions must cease and warned that continued misconduct could result in lengthy imprisonment. As part of his latest sentence, Dalby was handed a two-year community order, 35 days of rehabilitation, and an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order, with his remand status maintained pending further probation reports. His sentencing is scheduled for June 17 at Canterbury Crown Court.

Dalby’s troubling history and recent actions underscore the ongoing concerns about his conduct in public spaces in Ashford and Chatham, prompting calls for stricter enforcement and monitoring to prevent further harm.