SEAN BROWN'S HORRIFIC CRIME IN DARWEN: FAMILY TRAGEDY AND JUSTICE

In March 2019, a chilling story emerged from Darwen, Lancashire, involving the devastating actions of Sean Brown, a man whose heinous crimes left a family shattered and a community in shock.

Sean Brown, then aged 35, committed an unthinkable act that would haunt his family forever. His daughter, Carry-Ann Brown, who was only 14 years old and had a mental age of seven, fell victim to her father’s horrific abuse. The authorities had previously removed Carry-Ann from Brown’s care after discovering she had been impregnated, a revelation that exposed the depth of his depravity.

The pregnancy was terminated in July 2003 by court order, following a high court judge’s decision. DNA testing was ordered to establish paternity, which ultimately confirmed Brown as the father. In a desperate attempt to conceal his involvement, Brown lured Carry-Ann away from her foster carers, drugged her with sleeping tablets, and then drove recklessly along the M6 motorway in Cumbria. His reckless driving culminated in him smashing through a fence and rolling down a steep embankment, an act that was clearly intended to end both their lives.

Carry-Ann sustained severe head injuries during the crash and was rushed to hospital. Despite medical efforts, she succumbed to her injuries five days later. Brown’s actions led to his arrest, and he pleaded guilty to the charges of murder and unlawful sexual intercourse with his daughter at Preston Crown Court. In 2004, he was sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum tariff of 19 years, and an additional 21 months for the unlawful sex charge.

Shane Brown, now a father of two, spoke publicly about his father’s crimes and his ongoing fears of Brown’s potential release from prison, which was due in 2023. Shane expressed his unwavering condemnation, stating, “He is an evil monster and should never see the light of day again. What he did to my sister is completely unforgivable.”

Reflecting on his childhood, Shane described a household dominated by fear and control. His father, Sean Brown, was a manipulative and volatile man, diagnosed with schizophrenia, who exerted dominance over the entire family. Shane recounted how Brown’s temper was short, and he was prone to violent outbursts, often beating his mother and siblings without provocation. Shane detailed how his father’s physical and emotional abuse created a childhood filled with fear, with Carry-Ann receiving preferential treatment, which Shane now recognizes as a disturbing sign of his father’s favoritism.

He revealed that Brown’s relationship with Carry-Ann was deeply inappropriate, involving kisses on the lips and shared bed arrangements under the guise of caring for her epilepsy. Shane explained that their father’s controlling nature and the development of a sexual relationship between them began when Carry-Ann was just 13. The family’s suspicions grew when Carry-Ann’s health deteriorated, and her grandfather was concerned about her persistent vomiting. It was then that Brown took her to the doctor, only for the truth to emerge: she was pregnant.

The family was devastated. The pregnancy was terminated, and DNA tests confirmed Brown’s paternity. Brown’s attempt to evade justice led him to run away to Leeds, but he was eventually caught and arrested. During this period, Brown’s behavior grew increasingly erratic. He secretly arranged to pick Carry-Ann up from her foster home, an act that alarmed her family. When he failed to return, the family was left in distress, only to learn that Carry-Ann had been involved in a car accident in Cumbria.

Brown had given Carry-Ann sleeping tablets and driven her off a motorway bridge, crashing down an embankment. Miraculously surviving the crash, Brown was injured but managed to escape, while Carry-Ann was left fighting for her life. She was rushed to hospital with severe head injuries, and despite medical intervention, she was placed in a coma and eventually died from her injuries. Brown’s attempt to end his own life by jumping onto the motorway was thwarted when he was clipped by a lorry, sustaining a broken arm.

Following his arrest, Brown was held in custody awaiting trial. Initially denying the charges, he changed his plea to guilty just two days before the court hearing. The court sentenced him to life imprisonment, emphasizing that his actions were deliberate and driven by an inability to cope with the consequences of his actions. Judge Peter Openshaw described Brown’s killing of Carry-Ann as a carefully planned act of murder, motivated by his own despair and guilt.

The aftermath of the tragedy tore Shane’s family apart. He recounted how the once close-knit family was fractured, with estranged relationships and grief overshadowing their lives. Shane now lives with his partner Claire, a support carer, and is a father to a five-year-old and a two-year-old. His perspective has shifted since becoming a parent, and he expressed his strong belief that his father should never be released from prison, stating, “He’s due to be released in a few years, but he should never see the light of day again. He should rot behind bars forever.”