SUSAN BARNETT'S SHOCKING CRIMES IN LIVERPOOL: DEPRAVED PREDATOR ESCAPES JAIL
In a case that has shocked the community of Liverpool, Susan Barnett, a woman with a disturbing criminal history, has narrowly avoided serving a prison sentence despite her involvement in heinous activities linked to child abuse and sexual misconduct.The events unfolded after Barnett, who had previously been convicted for her role in a sickening plot involving her husband Kevin Barnett and Nikita Moore, went on the run in May 2020, just as she was due to be sentenced for breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).
Her flight from justice sparked outrage among victims' families and local residents alike.
Barnett's criminal record dates back to 2015, when she, her husband Kevin, and Moore were all jailed for their part in a conspiracy to sexually abuse children.
The trio's plans were exposed through a series of disturbing WhatsApp messages, which revealed their involvement in a twisted 'love triangle' that included explicit discussions about underage victims and plans to commit further abuse.
Following her release from prison, Barnett moved to Merseyside, specifically to Liverpool, where she blatantly disregarded the conditions of her SHPO by making contact with two children.
Despite admitting to these contacts, she was granted bail on March 31, 2020, to allow for a pre-sentence report to be prepared.
However, she failed to return to court after leaving her residence on Beechwood Road, Litherland, prompting authorities to issue a warrant for her arrest.
Her apprehension came two days later, on May 23, when police arrested her at a house overlooking a primary school in Barrow-in-Furness.
She was found at her mother’s address and was subsequently remanded in custody to await sentencing.
When brought back to Liverpool Crown Court, Barnett faced a sentencing hearing where she was handed a six-month jail term, suspended for 12 months.
She pleaded guilty to breaching her SHPO 'without reasonable excuse' between December 3, 2018, and October 2, 2019, by having 'unsupervised contact with a child under the age of 16, without the consent of the child's parent.' Prosecutors clarified that the contact was conducted online rather than face-to-face, and while the breach was deliberate, they acknowledged that little or no harm was caused to the children involved.
Judge Garrett Byrne, presiding over the case, explained that sentencing guidelines suggested a starting point of six months in jail for such breaches, with a range extending to eight months.
He also took into account Barnett’s guilty plea, which merited a 25% reduction in her sentence.
The judge considered the potential negative impact of immediate incarceration, especially during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which has resulted in prisons operating under strict lockdown conditions, often with 23 hours a day confinement.
In addition to the suspended sentence, Barnett was subjected to a two-month home curfew from 7 pm to 6 am at her new address in Leyland Road, Southport.
She was also ordered to participate in a 25-day rehabilitation program and to have her mobile phone, which was used to contact the children, forfeited and destroyed.
The decision to impose these measures was met with outrage from the family of one of the children involved.
The grandfather of the child expressed his fury, describing the situation as 'pathetic' and revealing that his grandchild had to undergo traumatic medical examinations to check for abuse.
He criticized the leniency of the sentence, stating, 'We knew she was in Liverpool and that there was a warrant out for her arrest.
We didn’t know where she had gone, but we found out she was back in Barrow.
My daughter nearly bumped into her, and my friends had to drag her away from her.
It’s pathetic — she should be back inside.
The original sentence they got was not long enough for what they did.' Kevin Barnett, Susan’s husband, was previously sentenced to six years in prison, while Susan received four and a half years, and Moore was sentenced to four years in 2015.
The family’s frustration with the justice system’s perceived leniency was palpable, with the grandfather stating, 'They only did half that then got out.
She should have gone back in and finished her sentence, but that’s just my opinion, not the courts.
The courts were too lenient with them.
All I can do now is try to protect my daughter from Barnett and prevent her from hitting her or ending up inside herself.' The trio’s criminal activities were uncovered following an incident in June 2014, when an 18-year-old woman, involved with Kevin Barnett, tipped off police about disturbing messages on his phone.
Kevin Barnett was arrested during a domestic disturbance at his home, where Susan Barnett and Moore were also residing.
The night before, Kevin had engaged in a sexual liaison with both women, and the following evening, he continued to exchange messages with them while in the company of a third woman.
When police arrived to prevent a breach of the peace, the woman pointed out vile messages on Kevin’s phone, which included discussions about facilitating child abuse.
Investigations revealed that Susan Barnett had suggested she could obtain a job in childcare, while Moore expressed her own disturbing thoughts of sexually abusing a child and even discussed having a child with Kevin Barnett to abuse together.
The messages exchanged among the trio were described by Judge Cornwall as 'truly horrific and utterly depraved,' illustrating the extent of their moral corruption.
Although no physical abuse was proven, the judge emphasized that Kevin Barnett was a 'baneful influence' on the women, who appeared to have little understanding of the harm they could cause.
All three defendants faced multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit child sexual offences and possession of indecent images of children.
They denied the allegations, claiming the messages were merely 'fantasy' with no real intent to act.
Nevertheless, the jury convicted them, and they were ordered to register as sex offenders for life.
The case has left a lasting scar on the community of Liverpool, highlighting the dangers posed by individuals who operate under the guise of normalcy while harboring such depraved intentions.
