STEPHEN MERRIFIELD'S SHOCKING PAST IN WHITCHURCH AND BEYOND: NAZI MEMORABILIA, PAEDOPHILE HISTORY AND BOMB HOAX REVEALED
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Whitchurch Child Sexual Abuser
In April 2019, the quiet town of Whitchurch in Shropshire was shaken to its core when a series of alarming events unfolded, culminating in the arrest of pensioner Stephen Merrifield. The incident began with Merrifield, an 82-year-old man suffering from severe health issues, abandoning his battered green Ford Fiesta outside the townâs railway station. A note scrawled on display warned passersby with the chilling message: âBreak in and up you go!â
Police officers responding to the scene discovered more disturbing evidence inside the vehicle, including racially abusive messages, a petrol can, and an unidentified object in the boot. The situation escalated when Merrifield, who was wheelchair-bound at the time, was taken into custody. His actions on that day, which sparked a major unexploded bomb (UXB) alert leading to the sealing off of large parts of Whitchurch, were described as appalling by authorities. Merrifield was subsequently sentenced to 26 months in prison for his role in the bomb scare.
However, the revelations about Merrifieldâs criminal history extend far beyond this incident. The Sunday Mercury has uncovered a deeply disturbing and extensive criminal record that spans decades, revealing a man with a long history of predatory behavior, including crimes against children and a fascination with Nazi memorabilia. Merrifieldâs past is marked by a series of convictions and bans that highlight the danger he posed to the community.
One of the most alarming aspects of his criminal record is his use of deception to target children. Merrifield once disguised himself in a fake bus conductorâs uniform, a tactic he employed to gain the trust of young victims. His criminal activities against minors date back to 1971, when he was working as a milkman and was convicted of indecencies involving children. His criminal behavior continued over the years, with Merrifield being the first person in Dorset to receive a blanket life ban from having any contact with minors, a restriction that prohibited him even from speaking to children.
His dangerousness was further underscored by a ban that prevented him from traveling on buses, a measure taken after he used a bus conductorâs outfit to lure children. Merrifieldâs obsession with public transport uniforms was so intense that he was legally forbidden from wearing attire altered to resemble such uniforms, a restriction that stemmed from his repeated use of bus conductor costumes to entice young victims.
His criminal record reveals a near 50-year pattern of paedophile activity. In 1994, Merrifield was sentenced at Winchester Crown Court to nine years for indecent acts committed against children. During his trial, he bizarrely wore a Hampshire and Dorset bus conductor uniform, further demonstrating his obsession. At that time, he was working on the Rossmore Flyer community bus service in Poole, where he would hand out cigarettes, alcohol, and free fares in exchange for sexual favors.
Eleven years later, at Dorchester Crown Court, Merrifield received a three-year sentence for violating a court order that prohibited him from communicating with children. He was caught chatting and taking photographs of young children at a garden fete, still dressed in his bus conductor uniform. Judge Harvey Clark QC condemned Merrifield, stating, âThis is a man, who far from accepting he has a problem, is still denying there is anything wrong. The public needs to be protected from you.â
His criminal history also includes a series of breaches of court orders. In 2010, magistrates in Weymouth revealed that Merrifield had violated the same order on three separate occasions, often while wearing fake bus company attire and sporting a PSV enamel badge. On one such occasion, he befriended an 11-year-old child while riding a school bus crowded with other children, giving the child a Corgi model car and his phone number.
Despite his long-standing criminal behavior, Merrifieldâs presence in Whitchurch was largely unrecognized by the community until his recent arrest. The town, located near the Cheshire border, was merely the next community to fall under his shadow, as he moved from one place to another, often under different aliases, including the name Stephen Welstead.
Following his arrest, police searched Merrifieldâs home and uncovered a cache of Nazi memorabilia and notes written in acid, indicating a disturbing fascination with Nazi ideology. His criminal record, which required extensive investigation through newspaper archives across England, paints a picture of a man who has repeatedly evaded long-term confinement and continued his predatory behavior over decades.
In court, Merrifieldâs actions and history were laid bare, revealing a man who has changed his name and birthdate multiple times to avoid detection. His recent conviction at Shrewsbury Crown Court included sentences for breaching court orders, assaulting a police officer, and harassment. The court heard that Merrifieldâs behavior was not only dangerous but also indicative of a man who shows no remorse for his actions.
Today, residents of Whitchurch can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that Merrifield is behind bars, but the scars of his long and disturbing criminal history serve as a stark reminder of the importance of vigilance and community protection against such predatory individuals.
Police officers responding to the scene discovered more disturbing evidence inside the vehicle, including racially abusive messages, a petrol can, and an unidentified object in the boot. The situation escalated when Merrifield, who was wheelchair-bound at the time, was taken into custody. His actions on that day, which sparked a major unexploded bomb (UXB) alert leading to the sealing off of large parts of Whitchurch, were described as appalling by authorities. Merrifield was subsequently sentenced to 26 months in prison for his role in the bomb scare.
However, the revelations about Merrifieldâs criminal history extend far beyond this incident. The Sunday Mercury has uncovered a deeply disturbing and extensive criminal record that spans decades, revealing a man with a long history of predatory behavior, including crimes against children and a fascination with Nazi memorabilia. Merrifieldâs past is marked by a series of convictions and bans that highlight the danger he posed to the community.
One of the most alarming aspects of his criminal record is his use of deception to target children. Merrifield once disguised himself in a fake bus conductorâs uniform, a tactic he employed to gain the trust of young victims. His criminal activities against minors date back to 1971, when he was working as a milkman and was convicted of indecencies involving children. His criminal behavior continued over the years, with Merrifield being the first person in Dorset to receive a blanket life ban from having any contact with minors, a restriction that prohibited him even from speaking to children.
His dangerousness was further underscored by a ban that prevented him from traveling on buses, a measure taken after he used a bus conductorâs outfit to lure children. Merrifieldâs obsession with public transport uniforms was so intense that he was legally forbidden from wearing attire altered to resemble such uniforms, a restriction that stemmed from his repeated use of bus conductor costumes to entice young victims.
His criminal record reveals a near 50-year pattern of paedophile activity. In 1994, Merrifield was sentenced at Winchester Crown Court to nine years for indecent acts committed against children. During his trial, he bizarrely wore a Hampshire and Dorset bus conductor uniform, further demonstrating his obsession. At that time, he was working on the Rossmore Flyer community bus service in Poole, where he would hand out cigarettes, alcohol, and free fares in exchange for sexual favors.
Eleven years later, at Dorchester Crown Court, Merrifield received a three-year sentence for violating a court order that prohibited him from communicating with children. He was caught chatting and taking photographs of young children at a garden fete, still dressed in his bus conductor uniform. Judge Harvey Clark QC condemned Merrifield, stating, âThis is a man, who far from accepting he has a problem, is still denying there is anything wrong. The public needs to be protected from you.â
His criminal history also includes a series of breaches of court orders. In 2010, magistrates in Weymouth revealed that Merrifield had violated the same order on three separate occasions, often while wearing fake bus company attire and sporting a PSV enamel badge. On one such occasion, he befriended an 11-year-old child while riding a school bus crowded with other children, giving the child a Corgi model car and his phone number.
Despite his long-standing criminal behavior, Merrifieldâs presence in Whitchurch was largely unrecognized by the community until his recent arrest. The town, located near the Cheshire border, was merely the next community to fall under his shadow, as he moved from one place to another, often under different aliases, including the name Stephen Welstead.
Following his arrest, police searched Merrifieldâs home and uncovered a cache of Nazi memorabilia and notes written in acid, indicating a disturbing fascination with Nazi ideology. His criminal record, which required extensive investigation through newspaper archives across England, paints a picture of a man who has repeatedly evaded long-term confinement and continued his predatory behavior over decades.
In court, Merrifieldâs actions and history were laid bare, revealing a man who has changed his name and birthdate multiple times to avoid detection. His recent conviction at Shrewsbury Crown Court included sentences for breaching court orders, assaulting a police officer, and harassment. The court heard that Merrifieldâs behavior was not only dangerous but also indicative of a man who shows no remorse for his actions.
Today, residents of Whitchurch can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that Merrifield is behind bars, but the scars of his long and disturbing criminal history serve as a stark reminder of the importance of vigilance and community protection against such predatory individuals.