DAVID PENNERY'S HORRIFIC CRIMES IN COLCHESTER: ZOO WORKER'S SEVEN-YEAR SENTENCE REJECTED BY APPEAL

In September 2017, the case of David Pennery, a man convicted of heinous crimes against children in Colchester, took a significant turn when his seven-year prison sentence was formally challenged by the Attorney General under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme. Despite the gravity of his offenses, the Court of Appeal ultimately decided not to increase his sentence, leaving him likely to serve approximately three and a half years behind bars before being released on licence in late 2020.

Earlier in June 2017, Pennery, a former employee at Colchester Zoo, was sentenced to seven years in prison after being found guilty of multiple sexual offenses involving a young boy. The court also mandated that he register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life. The crimes involved repeated sexual assaults on a boy who was as young as five years old at the time of the abuse. Pennery, who resided initially in Circus Square and later on Rayner Road in Colchester, had gained the trust of the child's family, which he exploited to carry out his disturbing acts.

During the trial, it was revealed that Pennery initially denied the allegations but later admitted to the abuse. The assaults occurred in various locations, including the family’s home in Frinton and Pennery’s residence, between March 2014 and December 2015. One of the assaults lasted up to 20 minutes, leaving lasting trauma for the young victim. The police investigation uncovered a vast collection of illegal material on Pennery’s devices, including over 4,000 indecent images of children and approximately 800 videos depicting child exploitation. The images were categorized into different levels of severity, with 879 being Category A, the most serious, and the rest falling into Categories B and C. Almost all of these images depicted pre-teen boys, highlighting the disturbing nature of his collection.

At Ipswich Crown Court, Judge Martyn Levett sentenced Pennery, emphasizing the profound harm caused by his actions. The judge stated, “The harm caused by your actions is immeasurable and undoubtedly carries through the family as a whole. The boy was extremely young at the time and you carried out the assaults on several occasions. It was at a time when you had been accepted and trusted into the family.”

The court detailed that the first assault took place in the boy’s bedroom, during which Pennery told the child, “Sssh, don’t tell anyone.” Another incident occurred later in Pennery’s home after a day out. The victim’s family expressed relief that Pennery was now behind bars, thanking Essex Police for their diligent work. They also acknowledged that no sentence could fully compensate for the pain endured, and that recovery would take time.

Pennery, who showed remorse during proceedings, pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual assault of a child and three counts of possessing indecent images of children. His case drew widespread attention due to the severity of his crimes and the betrayal of trust involved.

In a related case from May 2017, Pennery faced additional charges after sexually assaulting a four-year-old boy on four separate occasions. The victim’s father, also from Colchester, expressed his enduring anger and heartbreak, stating, “Our lives fell apart when we found out what had been going on. Words can’t describe what I felt. You have anger, you feel sick to your stomach and you wonder what you could have done to stop it. I will never, ever forgive him.”

It was reported that at least one of these assaults took place at Colchester Zoo, where Pennery was employed at the time. When he was arrested, police discovered hundreds of indecent images of children on his laptop, downloaded between April 2013 and December 2015. He also faced two charges of child rape, which were scheduled for trial but were ultimately dropped to prevent further trauma to the victim and his family. The family’s statement reflected their hope for healing, saying, “We just did not want to put our boy through it. He has been going to the Colchester-based Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse, and he has recovered significantly with the help of Cara staff. As soon as Pennery is behind bars, we can begin to rebuild our lives.”

Throughout the legal process, Pennery admitted to four sexual assaults on a child under 13 and to possessing numerous indecent images. He was released on conditional bail pending sentencing, but his crimes have left a lasting scar on the community and the victims involved.