DAVID DALE'S HORRIFIC CRIMES IN WALLSEND: A DISTURBING TALE OF ABUSE AND JUSTICE

In August 2017, the case of David Dale, a notorious paedophile from Wallsend, took a disturbing turn as he admitted to committing additional heinous sexual offences against young boys, further compounding his already dark criminal record.

David Dale, who has a long history of predatory behavior, was previously sentenced in 2010 to an indefinite hospital order after a series of sickening attacks. At that time, he had posed as a teenager to lure two 10-year-old boys into a field in Wallsend, where he subjected them to vicious sexual assaults. The court heard that Dale, then aged 21, had befriended the boys after a chance encounter in a local corner shop. He then asked if they wanted to see his den, a ruse that led to the horrific abuse in a grassy area within Wallsend.

Since that initial conviction, authorities have identified three additional victims, revealing the extent of Dale’s depravity. The latest developments saw Dale, formerly residing on Shakespeare Street in Wallsend, receive a further hospital order after pleading guilty to a total of 17 sexual offences, including rape and attempted rape. The Newcastle Crown Court was informed that in 2016, a boy reported to the police that he had been abused by Dale around 2009, when he was just nine or ten years old.

Police officers interviewed Dale while he was hospitalized, and initially, he denied the allegations. However, three months later, Dale confessed to medical staff and law enforcement officials that he had indeed sexually abused the boy. During this confession, he also named two other victims he had attacked in 2006 and 2008. Prosecutor Lee Fish detailed that Dale had targeted children in the areas of Shiremoor and East Howdon, often using the same tactic of pretending to show them his den.

Mr. Fish explained that in April of the previous year, a man came forward, reporting that he had been sexually abused by Dale. This led to police interviews, during which Dale initially denied the accusations. However, in July 2016, the defendant approached his hospital ward manager and, surprisingly, began discussing his past crimes. He provided notes and admitted to multiple sexual offences against children, revealing the identities of two additional boys he had assaulted.

The court was told that the three latest victims were aged nine, ten, and eleven at the time of their abuse. Tragically, two of these victims have since attempted to take their own lives, highlighting the profound and lasting impact of Dale’s actions. One victim’s statement expressed the deep scars left by the abuse, stating, “The crimes committed on me have had a massive impact on my life and my family. They stole so much from my life. They stripped me of my self-worth. They have caused me to have so many problems growing-up.”

Another victim, who began using drugs at age 13 to cope with the memories, shared, “I feel like I’m totally on my own and I can’t talk to anybody, which torments me every day. I have had trouble sleeping for years and I regularly have nightmares, although I can’t remember what they’re about. I have been prescribed sleeping tablets in the past.”

In light of these grave findings, Judge Wheeler sentenced Dale to another indefinite hospital order, coupled with a restriction order. The judge emphasized the severity of the offences and their devastating effects on the victims and their families. He stated, “I’m satisfied, not withstanding the extremely serious nature of these offences and the effect not only on the men concerned but on their extended families, that the appropriate sentence in this case would be making a hospital order. I’m also satisfied that, taking into account the nature of the offences, their extreme nature, your previous convictions, and the risk of you committing further offences if you were at liberty, it is necessary for the protection of the public to make a restriction order attached to the hospital order.”

Furthermore, Dale has already been ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for life and is subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order, underscoring the ongoing risk he poses to society.

Reflecting on his past crimes, it is also noted that Dale was previously convicted in April 2010 for abusing two 10-year-old boys. He had posed as a teenager, befriending the boys after they went to a local shop, and then lured them into a field in Wallsend where he subjected them to sexual assault. Prosecutor James Adkin described the case as an extremely serious sexual assault, emphasizing that Dale had deliberately targeted the boys and threatened to kill them if they disclosed the abuse.

During the court proceedings, Dale’s background was highlighted, including the fact that his father was serving a life sentence for murder and that his mother had abandoned him. His defense lawyer, Tony Hawks, acknowledged the gravity of the situation, stating that Dale would likely be branded a paedophile and a pervert for the rest of his life.

Overall, the case of David Dale from Wallsend remains a stark reminder of the devastating impact of child sexual abuse and the importance of stringent legal measures to protect vulnerable victims and prevent further harm.