PHILLIP YARROW FROM DURHAM CAUGHT IN RELATIONSHIPS WITH YOUNG MOTHERS DESPITE SEX OFFENDER ORDER
A man named Phillip Yarrow, who is classified as a sex offender and subject to strict legal restrictions, has once again found himself involved in relationships with young mothers in Durham, despite being legally prohibited from such interactions without supervision and without the knowledge of guardians.Yarrow was previously convicted in February 2019 of serious sexual offenses, including engaging in sexual communication with a minor and attempting sexual activity with a child.
His criminal record also includes online grooming of a girl aged between 13 and 15 years old.
Following these convictions, Durham Crown Court imposed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) on him, which explicitly forbids him from having unsupervised contact with any child under the age of 16 unless the child's parent or guardian is fully aware of his criminal history.
In addition to the SHPO, Yarrow was mandated to adhere to notification requirements as a registered sex offender.
This means he must inform his designated risk manager if he plans to reside at any address for more than 12 hours, ensuring authorities are aware of his whereabouts at all times.
Despite these restrictions, Yarrow's recent conduct has raised concerns.
In December of the previous year, a woman, who has a daughter under four years old, reported that she had been communicating with Yarrow via a dating application for approximately two weeks.
The woman, described as being 32 years old and from Coxhoe, eventually arranged to meet him near her residence on January 2.
Following their meeting, Yarrow returned to her home, although her young daughter was not present at that time as she was staying with her grandmother.
Prosecutor Jon Harley explained that Yarrow did not stay overnight during this initial visit, but he returned the next day at around 4 pm.
On that occasion, he stayed for two hours while the woman was present, but he did not have any direct contact with her child and was never left alone with her.
The following evening, Yarrow visited again at 7 pm and this time stayed overnight at the woman's address, during which he watched television.
He left the next morning after the woman arranged for a taxi to take him away.
This was the last time she saw him.
Throughout these interactions, Yarrow did not disclose his previous convictions to the woman.
It was only after police investigations that he admitted responsibility for his actions.
When questioned, he acknowledged his guilt, and he had previously indicated his guilt during a court appearance before magistrates last month.
Yarrow, aged 32 and residing on Grange Crescent in Coxhoe, has a criminal record comprising three convictions for a total of ten offenses, all related to sexual misconduct.
His criminal history includes not only the original offenses from 2019 but also subsequent breaches of the court orders.
In June 2021, he was brought back before the court for making indecent images of children and for failing to comply with the notification requirements as a sex offender.
Further breaches occurred in July 2022, when he stayed at an address for more than seven days without informing the female householder, who had two young daughters, of his past convictions.
Yarrow's legal representative, Martin Scarborough, explained that his client had secured employment at a glass factory through an agency, which limited his ability to seek full-time work.
Regarding the latest incident, Scarborough emphasized that Yarrow had minimal contact with the child and was never left unsupervised during his visits.
Judge Jo Kidd addressed Yarrow directly, criticizing his repeated pattern of engaging in relationships with mothers of young children without disclosing his criminal history.
She noted that his sentences have increased with each breach and that he has consistently disobeyed court orders.
The judge remarked that Yarrow appears to continue engaging in risky behavior despite previous warnings.
In light of his repeated violations, Judge Kidd sentenced Yarrow to 20 months in prison.
She warned that if he commits further offenses during his supervised release period, he is likely to be recalled to prison to serve the remainder of his sentence.
The judge's decision underscores the seriousness with which the court views his ongoing disregard for legal restrictions and the potential danger posed by his actions.
