MATTHEW MELLOR'S LEICESTER NIGHTMARE: SERIAL OFFENDER TARGETS TEENAGE GIRL IN NUNEATON

In October 2014, a disturbing incident unfolded involving Matthew Mellor, a man with a long history of sexual offences, who targeted a teenage girl in Nuneaton, despite having been previously barred from approaching women inappropriately. Mellor, residing on Regent Road in Leicester, was known for his repeated violations of court orders and his extensive criminal record related to sexual misconduct.

On that evening, around 7 pm, Mellor's actions cast a shadow over a young girl walking from the town centre to meet her boyfriend. The girl, aged 16, was navigating a familiar route that included a narrow path and a bridge crossing a stream. As she crossed the bridge, she noticed a man peering at her from the edge of the path, who then disappeared from sight to her left. Despite this unsettling sight, she continued her journey, crossing the stream and turning right, away from the man.

However, her sense of safety was short-lived. She soon became aware that Mellor, a towering figure standing at 6 feet 7 inches, was following her. As her pace quickened, Mellor matched her speed, jogging after her in an apparent attempt to catch up. The situation escalated when they reached an area dense with trees, where Mellor shouted at her in a loud, aggressive manner: “Oi, oi, drop your knickers.”

The terrified girl, fearing for her safety, hurried on and called her boyfriend, who was waiting nearby in his car. When she looked back, she saw that Mellor was no longer in pursuit. The girl and her boyfriend then retraced her steps along the path, searching for Mellor. They managed to spot him and pointed him out to the police officers who arrived shortly after.

At the scene, officers found Mellor heavily intoxicated. His arrest was swift, and it was revealed that his actions had violated a sexual offences prevention order previously imposed on him. During questioning, Mellor admitted to being in the area but denied hiding from the girl or shouting at her. He claimed he had walked behind someone but could not recall the gender of that individual.

Matthew Mellor’s criminal history is extensive. His convictions date back to 2000, when he was placed on probation for sending an obscene article through the mail. He was also convicted in 2000 and 2003 for indecent assault. In July 2005, Mellor received an extended prison sentence, serving two-thirds of a six-year term and remaining on licence for the rest of that period, plus an additional three years, for sexual assault.

He was released on licence in February 2009 but was recalled to serve the remainder of his sentence after committing an offence involving threatening, abusive, or insulting behaviour, which led to an eight-week jail term in January 2010. Mellor was finally released again in February of this year. In May, he received a four-month suspended sentence for sending a letter or other material containing an indecent or grossly offensive message.

When Mellor appeared at Warwick Crown Court for sentencing, he pleaded guilty to breaching a sexual offences prevention order. However, the court was unable to proceed with sentencing because the prosecution lacked details of the offence for which Mellor’s previous suspended sentence had been imposed. As a result, Judge Sylvia de Bertodano remanded Mellor into custody and adjourned the case to allow further details to be gathered, emphasizing the seriousness of his repeated violations and the ongoing threat he posed to the community.