SICK MONSTER SIMON HEATON FROM ST HELENS REVEALED AFTER SHOCKING SEX ATTACKS
| Red Rose Database
St Helens Rapist
In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of St Helens, the identity of a man described as a “sick monster” has been publicly disclosed following his heinous crimes involving two young girls. Simon Heaton, aged 17 and a resident of St Helens, was found guilty of multiple sexual offenses, including a brutal assault on a nine-year-old girl and a previous attack on a 10-year-old girl in Victoria Park, St Helens.
Heaton’s crimes have garnered widespread attention, especially after the court proceedings revealed harrowing details of his violent and predatory behavior. The Liverpool Crown Court heard how Heaton, who was on bail at the time of the second attack, committed these acts in different locations, with the first incident occurring in Victoria Park and the second in Great Harwood, near Blackburn, Lancashire.
Following a request from the St Helens Star to lift reporting restrictions on Heaton’s identity, Judge David Harris QC agreed to do so, citing the importance of public awareness and safety. The judge delayed the lifting of the reporting ban until 5 pm to ensure adequate security measures could be put in place, preventing any potential harm to Heaton while he remains in custody.
The mother of the second victim, who was assaulted in Lancashire while Heaton was out on bail, described her daughter’s attacker as a “sick monster,” expressing her horror and outrage at the crimes committed by Heaton. The connection between the two cases was initially revealed by the Star in November, highlighting the disturbing pattern of Heaton’s predatory behavior.
During the sentencing hearing, Heaton, who has a slender build, showed little emotion as Judge Harris emphasized that he must remain detained until it can be confirmed that he no longer poses a threat to society. The court indicated that Heaton could potentially be released on parole after serving five years, provided he is deemed no longer dangerous.
Prosecutor Deborah Gould detailed the terrifying nature of the attacks, noting that both girls feared for their lives during the assaults, which occurred four months apart. She recounted how Heaton lured the first girl into bushes in Victoria Park on the evening of Monday, April 6, last year. The young victim, just 10 years old, was walking through the park when she noticed Heaton by a pond. He began to follow her, staring intently, before grabbing her and forcing her into the bushes.
Miss Gould described the girl’s account: “She told him she was only 10 years old. She told police: ‘I told him to get off me but he wouldn’t’. When asked why she couldn’t escape, she said: ‘because he would have killed me’. The girl tried to call for help, but Heaton covered her mouth and threatened her, saying: ‘If you shout one more time I’ll break your neck.’ Eventually, he released her, and as she ran home, a car nearly hit her. The girl was so traumatized that she confided in her family about her ordeal.”
Heaton was arrested after the victim saw him walking past her home approximately three weeks after the attack. Initially, he denied any involvement, claiming he had been walking near the park on the night of the assault but had been beaten up by a group of youths. During police interviews, Heaton responded: “I’ve not done it, it makes me sick just thinking about it, what you’ve said…I used to child mind with me mum for God’s sake…it’s not me.”
Despite his denials, magistrates remanded him into custody. However, at a preliminary hearing at Liverpool Crown Court, Judge Boulton granted him conditional bail while awaiting a plea. Heaton was then staying with his aunt in East Lancashire under strict bail conditions.
Tragically, on August 3, 2009, while still on bail, Heaton committed another brutal assault, this time targeting a nine-year-old girl in Great Harwood, near Blackburn. He forcibly took her into woodland and subjected her to a violent sexual attack, punching her so hard that her jaw was broken in two places. The girl managed to escape and was found calling for help by a local businesswoman. A distressing phone call between the girl and a police officer was played in court, illustrating the severity of her trauma.
Two employees of the businesswoman followed Heaton’s footprints for three miles towards Clayton-le-Moors and eventually detained him until police arrived. Heaton admitted to seven offenses in total, five of which related to the attack in Victoria Park involving the 10-year-old girl. He pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting the Lancashire girl and causing her grievous bodily harm with intent.
In response to the bail decision made by Judge Boulton in May last year, a spokesperson for the Judicial Communications Office explained that bail decisions are made within the framework of the Bail Act 1976, considering relevant case law. The spokesperson emphasized that the judge’s decision indicated that none of the statutory exceptions to granting bail applied in Heaton’s case, despite the subsequent crimes committed while he was out on bail.
Heaton’s crimes have garnered widespread attention, especially after the court proceedings revealed harrowing details of his violent and predatory behavior. The Liverpool Crown Court heard how Heaton, who was on bail at the time of the second attack, committed these acts in different locations, with the first incident occurring in Victoria Park and the second in Great Harwood, near Blackburn, Lancashire.
Following a request from the St Helens Star to lift reporting restrictions on Heaton’s identity, Judge David Harris QC agreed to do so, citing the importance of public awareness and safety. The judge delayed the lifting of the reporting ban until 5 pm to ensure adequate security measures could be put in place, preventing any potential harm to Heaton while he remains in custody.
The mother of the second victim, who was assaulted in Lancashire while Heaton was out on bail, described her daughter’s attacker as a “sick monster,” expressing her horror and outrage at the crimes committed by Heaton. The connection between the two cases was initially revealed by the Star in November, highlighting the disturbing pattern of Heaton’s predatory behavior.
During the sentencing hearing, Heaton, who has a slender build, showed little emotion as Judge Harris emphasized that he must remain detained until it can be confirmed that he no longer poses a threat to society. The court indicated that Heaton could potentially be released on parole after serving five years, provided he is deemed no longer dangerous.
Prosecutor Deborah Gould detailed the terrifying nature of the attacks, noting that both girls feared for their lives during the assaults, which occurred four months apart. She recounted how Heaton lured the first girl into bushes in Victoria Park on the evening of Monday, April 6, last year. The young victim, just 10 years old, was walking through the park when she noticed Heaton by a pond. He began to follow her, staring intently, before grabbing her and forcing her into the bushes.
Miss Gould described the girl’s account: “She told him she was only 10 years old. She told police: ‘I told him to get off me but he wouldn’t’. When asked why she couldn’t escape, she said: ‘because he would have killed me’. The girl tried to call for help, but Heaton covered her mouth and threatened her, saying: ‘If you shout one more time I’ll break your neck.’ Eventually, he released her, and as she ran home, a car nearly hit her. The girl was so traumatized that she confided in her family about her ordeal.”
Heaton was arrested after the victim saw him walking past her home approximately three weeks after the attack. Initially, he denied any involvement, claiming he had been walking near the park on the night of the assault but had been beaten up by a group of youths. During police interviews, Heaton responded: “I’ve not done it, it makes me sick just thinking about it, what you’ve said…I used to child mind with me mum for God’s sake…it’s not me.”
Despite his denials, magistrates remanded him into custody. However, at a preliminary hearing at Liverpool Crown Court, Judge Boulton granted him conditional bail while awaiting a plea. Heaton was then staying with his aunt in East Lancashire under strict bail conditions.
Tragically, on August 3, 2009, while still on bail, Heaton committed another brutal assault, this time targeting a nine-year-old girl in Great Harwood, near Blackburn. He forcibly took her into woodland and subjected her to a violent sexual attack, punching her so hard that her jaw was broken in two places. The girl managed to escape and was found calling for help by a local businesswoman. A distressing phone call between the girl and a police officer was played in court, illustrating the severity of her trauma.
Two employees of the businesswoman followed Heaton’s footprints for three miles towards Clayton-le-Moors and eventually detained him until police arrived. Heaton admitted to seven offenses in total, five of which related to the attack in Victoria Park involving the 10-year-old girl. He pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting the Lancashire girl and causing her grievous bodily harm with intent.
In response to the bail decision made by Judge Boulton in May last year, a spokesperson for the Judicial Communications Office explained that bail decisions are made within the framework of the Bail Act 1976, considering relevant case law. The spokesperson emphasized that the judge’s decision indicated that none of the statutory exceptions to granting bail applied in Heaton’s case, despite the subsequent crimes committed while he was out on bail.