SHANE CLIFTON'S HORRIFIC CRIMES IN DERBY: A CHILDHOOD DESTROYED AND UNIMAGINABLE ABUSE REVEALED

In January 2020, a deeply disturbing case emerged involving Shane Clifton, a man from Derby whose heinous actions have left a trail of trauma and heartbreak. The story centers around the unimaginable abuse inflicted upon his daughter, Shannon Clifton, who endured years of sexual violence and physical assault at the hands of her father, beginning from a very young age.

Shannon, now 19, has bravely spoken out about her harrowing experiences, revealing that she was first made pregnant by her father when she was just 11 years old. Her account details how Shane Clifton repeatedly assaulted her, leading to her losing a pregnancy at approximately 28 weeks after being kicked in the stomach during a violent attack. She suspects that her father may have buried the fetus in their garden, as a neighbor once reported seeing him digging a hole in the backyard of their home in Chaddesden, Derby. This suspicion has prompted her to call for police to investigate further, including excavating their old garden to uncover any evidence.

Shannon vividly recalls the brutality of her father’s violence, stating, “He basically beat me to the point where I didn’t have a baby inside me anymore.” Her trauma is compounded by the fact that she was first made pregnant at the age of 11, and she believes her father may have intentionally caused her to miscarry. Her account suggests that he may have buried the fetus to conceal his crimes. She also recounts that she experienced a second miscarriage at age 12, and a third pregnancy at 13, which resulted in her giving birth to a boy after she turned 14. Although she initially cared for her son, she eventually made the difficult decision to have him adopted, seeking a better life for him away from her abusive environment.

Shannon’s story is further complicated by her father’s criminal history. Shane Clifton has a record of violent offenses, including a conviction for attacking a woman, during which he dragged her by the hair, kicked her repeatedly in the head, and stamped on her unconscious body. After serving over two years in prison for that assault, he was released but continued to pose a threat, attacking again after his release.

In 2014, DNA tests confirmed that Shane Clifton was the biological father of Shannon’s son, who was born in October of that year. Subsequently, Clifton pleaded guilty to raping Shannon from the ages of 10 to 14 at Derby Crown Court in March 2015. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 15 years, which was later reduced to 10 years after he pleaded guilty. Clifton attempted to appeal his sentence to secure an even shorter term, but his appeal was denied in November 2015.

Shannon’s account reveals that her father’s abuse was not limited to sexual violence. She describes how he made her pregnant three times, with the first pregnancy ending in a miscarriage after a brutal assault. She believes her father deliberately killed the fetus, although under English law, he could not be charged with murder because the baby was not born alive. Instead, he could potentially face charges related to child destruction. Her second pregnancy ended in a miscarriage at age 12, and her third resulted in the birth of her son, whom she cared for briefly before placing him for adoption.

Throughout her childhood, Shannon endured numerous violent attacks, including being burnt with an iron, attacked with a hammer, stabbed, and having her head split open. Her father’s manipulation extended to turning her against her family, isolating her from her relatives. The worst of her suffering began when she was just six years old, with her father forcing her into sexual acts during the night, often in the woods, and filming the abuse. Despite her young age, Shannon fought back in vain, and her father would always apologize afterward, promising it would never happen again, though the abuse persisted and intensified.

Her account details the terrifying escalation of violence, including being made to have sex in the woods and being forced to watch recordings of her abuse. At age 11, she became pregnant, and her father’s violence escalated further, culminating in a brutal assault that caused her to lose her baby. When she was 13, she again became pregnant, and her father sought online methods to induce a miscarriage. When that failed, he allegedly devised a plan to kill the baby after birth, a plan she describes as “the most evil thing he ever did or said.”

Her pregnancy was eventually discovered when a school nurse asked her to take a pregnancy test. Fearing exposure, Shannon refused and fled, leading to a police manhunt that lasted six days. During this time, she and her father slept rough, moving constantly to evade authorities. Eventually, police apprehended Shane Clifton in Derby, and Shannon gave birth to her son in hospital two days later. She immediately felt a deep bond with her baby but was overwhelmed by the realization that he was her brother. She kept her son for nearly a year before making the heartbreaking decision to place him for adoption, believing it was the best chance for him to have a stable life.

DNA testing later confirmed Shane Clifton’s paternity, and he admitted to the rape. Despite her trauma, Shannon admits that she still harbors some complex feelings of love for her father, a testament to the deep psychological scars left by her childhood abuse. Her fears for her safety persist, as she worries that he might one day kill her, despite the lifetime restraining order in place.

Shannon’s journey of recovery has been arduous. She suffers from PTSD, with frightening flashbacks and suicidal thoughts. With the support of a caring foster family, she has begun to rebuild her life, now renting her own flat and preparing to start a degree in criminal psychology in September. Her goal is to understand her father’s motives better and, more importantly, to help other victims of abuse find the help they need. Her story is a stark reminder of the devastating impact of childhood abuse and the importance of justice and support for survivors.