MICHAEL ROWE SHOCKS PLYMOUTH WITH CHILD ABDUCTION AND DRUGGING INCIDENT
In December 2016, Michael Rowe, a resident of Plymouth, was released from custody and is currently residing in the Barbican area of the city.His criminal activities, however, have left a lasting impact on the community and the victim involved.
Back in October 2015, Rowe was convicted and sentenced for a disturbing case involving the abduction of a 14-year-old girl and the subsequent drugging of the minor.
The incident drew significant attention from local authorities and the community, highlighting the dangers faced by vulnerable youths in Plymouth.
According to court records, Rowe, aged 38 at the time, had established a troubling relationship with the young girl, who was described as highly vulnerable.
He managed to befriend her and repeatedly allowed her to stay at his flat, which was located in Plymouth.
During these visits, Rowe supplied her with cannabis, a substance that further compromised her well-being.
The girl’s mother expressed her anguish during the trial, stating that Rowe had “robbed my daughter of her childhood and her innocence,” emphasizing the profound emotional and psychological damage inflicted.
In her statement, the mother added, “You took my little girl away from me,” conveying her heartbreak and frustration over the situation.
The court heard that the girl had willingly gone to Rowe’s flat on multiple occasions, and there was no evidence suggesting any sexual misconduct.
Nonetheless, the court recognized the vulnerability of the girl and the manipulative role Rowe played in her life.
Judge Paul Darlow, presiding over the case, noted that the girl had gone to the flat voluntarily and that there was no indication of sexual abuse.
However, he emphasized her fragile state, describing her as a “highly vulnerable and damaged individual.” The judge criticized Rowe for providing her with a safe haven and ignoring repeated pleas from her mother to keep her away and refrain from supplying drugs.
Rowe was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison, a sentence he was to serve in his absence, as he had earlier refused to attend court.
He had pleaded guilty to charges of detaining a child under 16 without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on June 20.
The court found that he had unlawfully kept the girl out of the control of her guardians and authorities.
At the time of the incident, Rowe was residing on Morice Street in Devonport.
During the proceedings, he had dismissed his legal team and refused to leave Exeter Prison to face the court or communicate with the girl’s mother.
The Crown Prosecution Service’s representative, Kelly Scrivener, detailed how Rowe had befriended the girl and allowed her to spend nights at his flat, where she smoked cannabis.
Despite the mother’s repeated requests for him to cease contact and call her if the girl appeared, Rowe continued his actions.
The teenager later informed police that she visited Rowe’s flat approximately four times a week, during which she smoked cannabis.
The mother recounted that after one such visit, her daughter was so affected by the drugs that she could barely stand.
Police issued a child abduction notice warning Rowe not to allow the girl, then only 13 years old, into his flat.
Despite these warnings, the girl was reported missing on June 20 and was eventually traced back to Rowe’s residence.
In a heartfelt statement addressed directly to Rowe, the girl’s mother expressed her outrage and sorrow.
She stated, “You have shown no remorse, even now.
You sack your legal team and refuse to talk to probation.
Everything is about your needs and not about the needs of the child whose life you have ripped to shreds.” She further explained that only after Rowe was placed in remand following his arrest in June was her daughter able to recover from the effects of drug use and receive the necessary support to begin healing from the trauma inflicted upon her.
