SERIAL SEX OFFENDER DARREN RICHARDSON JAILED FOR 11 YEARS AFTER VICTIMS' TRUTH PREVAILS
A serial sex offender who targeted five different victims – a woman, three boys, and a girl – during a series of "sinister encounters" later tried to talk his way out of trouble by pretending that they were "wicked liars".Lorry driver Darren Richardson tried to "duck and dive" and "weave around the allegations" but the offences "came back to haunt him" in the end, Hull Crown Court heard.
Richardson, 58, of Thompson Avenue, denied 11 offences, including indecent assault, sexual assault, and indecency with a child, but was convicted by a jury after a retrial.
A previous trial last year was stopped on June 11 due to problems.
Charlotte Baines, prosecuting, stated that Richardson intimately touched the woman, the three boys, and the girl during separate sexual incidents, with other sexual behaviour involved in some cases.
The offences came to light in October 2020 after one of the boys contacted the police.
Richardson was interviewed in January 2021 but denied all allegations, claiming they were lies or concocted.
He claimed the allegations were "just an unfortunate series of events" and accused the victims of collusion and false accusations.
However, the victims provided "reliable and compelling evidence", and their truthful accounts resulted in his conviction.
Ms.
Baines emphasized that Richardson's claims of being a victim were false, and he was manipulating the situation with "smoke and mirrors".
The jury was instructed to reject the idea that victims were "wicked liars" and to recognize that Richardson does not respect sexual boundaries.
Richardson had no previous convictions and was on bail during the trials.
After being found guilty, he was remanded in custody and received an 11-year sentence, with a lifetime sex offender register requirement.
