PHILIP JONES: CONVICTED SEX OFFENDER AND MAINTENANCE WORKER IN WIRRAL ENDANGERING CHILDREN AND WOMEN

In December 2020, Philip Jones, a dangerous sex offender from Seacombe, was working as a maintenance man in family homes. Authorities discovered he had extensively searched internet sites related to rape and child abuse, raising serious concerns about his activities. Jones, who previously served as a soldier, had made thousands of searches on rape-related sites and downloaded indecent images of children, including extreme pornography.

He had been convicted in 2014 of drugging a woman’s drink with nitrazapam—used for sleep but linked to the date rape drug Rohypnol—and sexually assaulting her. At that time, he was sentenced to five years in prison with an extended three-year licence. After his release in April 2018, Jones was legally required to sign the Sex Offenders Register and adhere to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO). However, he flagrantly breached these conditions by setting up a clandestine bank account and concealing a second mobile phone.

Liverpool Crown Court was told that a sex offender manager from Merseyside Police initiated an investigation following an anonymous tip-off that indicated Jones was using a Nationwide bank account and a secret mobile phone not disclosed to authorities. On November 4, police raided his new residence on Poulton Road, Seacombe. Jones initially refused to answer the door but appeared when officers attempted to force entry. During the search, two mobile phone chargers were found plugged in next to his bedside table.

Prosecutor Sarah Holt explained that Jones denied ownership of a second phone but police heard a ringing coming from the kitchen. The phone was subsequently found hidden under a cupboard panel, attached with string. Jones refused to comment during interviews but later admitted to failing to comply with his notification duties and breaching the SOPO.

The case was deemed serious because the bank account and concealed phone could have enabled Jones to conduct illicit activities unnoticed, including working at addresses where children were present. Although Jones had not been charged specifically with working at homes he was not authorized to, the court noted his determined efforts to hide his activities from authorities.

Jones, previously convicted of wounding and buggery, had left the Army and worked as an HGV driver before targeting a 24-year-old woman at The Tap pub in Birkenhead in February 2013. Witnesses saw him slip a substance into her lager, which a customer then knocked over, claiming it was accidental. CCTV footage confirmed Jones spiked her drink with nitrazapam. Tests verified the presence of this drug, related to Rohypnol. Jones claimed he added crushed painkillers to help with her back pain but could not explain why he did so secretly.

Further investigations uncovered 183 indecent images of children and extreme pornography on Jones’s computer. The police also found he had searched online for “date rape” 52 times and visited a rape-related site 23,500 times. Jones pleaded guilty to administering harmful substances to facilitate sexual activity as well as possessing and downloading illegal images.

Judge Stuart Driver, QC, remarked that Jones had made serious attempts to hide his activities, including hiding a mobile phone and creating a secret bank account, which was a grave breach. He sentenced Jones to 20 months in prison, with a new Sexual Harm Prevention Order requiring him to remain on the Sex Offenders Register and comply with the order for life.