JOHN KINGWILL'S SHOCKING CRIMES IN BURTONWOOD AND WIDNES: PAEDOPHILE'S REPEATED OFFENSES AND BREACHES

In a disturbing series of events spanning over several years, John Kingwill, a man with a long history of sexual offences involving young boys, has once again found himself at the center of criminal proceedings in the North West of England. His latest conviction stems from a breach of a sexual offences prevention order that explicitly prohibited him from being alone with children under the age of 16, a restriction he chose to ignore despite his criminal past.

Kingwill, aged 66, residing on Clay Lane in Burtonwood, was sentenced to two years in prison at Chester Crown Court on a recent Friday. The court heard that he had deliberately flouted the terms of the order, believing that the law did not apply to him or that he could evade its restrictions. His history of convictions for indecency with young boys is extensive, and his repeated breaches of legal orders have raised serious concerns about his ongoing risk to children.

During the proceedings, it was revealed that Kingwill had been welcomed into a family in Burtonwood by a woman who, feeling pity for him, took him under her wing. This woman, who has two children, allowed him to spend time alone with her children, despite the clear restrictions imposed by the court order. The court was told that Kingwill’s presence in the family setting was a breach of the order, which was designed to prevent him from having unsupervised contact with minors.

Defence solicitor Caroline Harris argued that Kingwill’s actions were not motivated by malicious intent but acknowledged that he was aware he was in breach of the court’s directives. She explained, “He did not seek out this family. He visited a café where a lady worked, and she befriended him out of sympathy for his loneliness. She then introduced him to her family, which led to the breaches. This does not negate the fact that he broke the order, but it shows he did not deliberately set out to do so.”

However, the prosecution, led by Mandy Nepal, painted a different picture. She recounted the shock experienced by the mother of the children after she discovered Kingwill’s criminal history online. The mother, whose identity is protected for legal reasons, had become increasingly uncomfortable with Kingwill’s contact and decided to investigate further. Her discovery left her feeling physically sick, and she stated that she would have had no contact with him had she known the truth about his past.

Following her discovery, the mother contacted the police, leading to Kingwill’s arrest on November 20. He subsequently pleaded guilty to breaching the court order. Judge Roger Dutton described the case as a “grave situation,” emphasizing the seriousness of Kingwill’s repeated violations. “This is the fourth time you have breached a sexual offences prevention order,” the judge stated. “Your criminal record for paedophile offences involving young boys is extensive. While there is no evidence that anything inappropriate occurred during this breach, we cannot know what might have happened if the mother had not uncovered the truth.”

In a separate incident dating back to June 2010 in Widnes, Kingwill, then aged 61, narrowly avoided jail after breaching a similar order. He had been caring for his neighbour’s seven-year-old grandson while the child’s mother was hospitalized. The neighbour called him late at night, requesting a lift to her daughter’s house, where she found her daughter unconscious and the young boy distressed. Despite the circumstances, the court heard that nothing untoward happened during the care period, and Kingwill informed the family of his criminal history the following day.

Prosecutor Joanne Clark clarified that Kingwill had a “long-term history of offending against young males” and had accumulated numerous convictions over the years. His defence, represented by Vanessa Lau, highlighted that a community member from the Foundry Church in Widnes vouched for his character, describing him as someone who often helped others. Lau argued that the breach was unintentional and occurred under urgent circumstances, asserting, “He was motivated by a desire to help and accepts he should have explained the situation better.”

Judge Nicholas Woodward acknowledged Kingwill’s efforts to reform, noting that he was making “excellent progress” under a sexual offences programme. Nevertheless, he emphasized that the breach was serious and justified the conditions of the order. Kingwill was given a conditional discharge for 12 months, a decision that reflects both the court’s concern and recognition of his efforts to comply with legal restrictions.