OLIVER FEARNALL'S CRIMES IN DROITWICH AND WORCESTER: PREDATORY OFFENDER'S REPEATED BREACHES AND CHILD SEX OFFENCES

In June 2022, Oliver Fearnall, a known offender from Droitwich, faced serious consequences after being found guilty of breaching a court-imposed community order. The court had previously sentenced him to a two-year community order in September of the previous year for violating a sexual offences prevention order. Despite this, Fearnall was caught again in May and April of 2022, failing to adhere to the conditions of his supervision, specifically by neglecting to attend scheduled telephone appointments without providing any explanation for his absences.

During a hearing at Worcester Crown Court on June 23, the prosecution, led by Christopher Penbridge, detailed how Fearnall had breached his community order on two separate occasions. The breaches involved his failure to engage with probation services, which was considered a serious violation of the court’s directives. In response, Judge Nicholas Cartwright issued a stern warning to Fearnall, emphasizing that if the curfew he was under was effective and he was actively re-engaging with probation, then the alternative would be to impose a financial penalty. However, the judge made it clear that further breaches would not be tolerated.

As a consequence, Fearnall was sentenced to a four-week curfew, requiring him to remain at his mother’s residence on Meadow Walk in Droitwich from 9 pm to 6 am each night. The judge explicitly warned him that any future breach would result in an immediate custodial sentence, underscoring the seriousness of his violations.

Fearnall’s criminal history is deeply troubling. When he was just 22 years old, he was involved in a series of heinous acts that included making a 13-year-old girl pregnant and subsequently fleeing from police when he ran away with her. The girl was taken to a funfair in Stourport, where Fearnall supplied her with vodka, white wine, and lemonade until she lost consciousness. She later awoke in a stranger’s house in Kidderminster, bearing “love bites” on her neck, as recounted by Mr. Aspinall during a court hearing eight years prior.

In September 2021, Fearnall’s predatory behavior was further exposed when he admitted to breaching a sexual offences prevention order by having unsupervised contact with a child under 16 on August 18 of the previous year. This contact was explicitly prohibited under the terms of the order issued by Worcester Crown Court on May 12, 2014. The court had previously heard how Fearnall, then aged 22, had engaged in a disturbing pattern of grooming and sexual activity with a young girl.

The earlier case revealed that Fearnall had made a 13-year-old girl pregnant and later sparked a police manhunt when he ran away with her. Their relationship involved internet grooming, and they met in a flat above an abandoned shop in Kidderminster, where they engaged in sexual activity on three separate occasions. Fearnall pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual activity with a child and was sentenced to a total of four years and eight months in prison, with concurrent sentences for each count. Additionally, he was convicted of child abduction, receiving a 12-month consecutive sentence. The court also imposed a sexual offences prevention order, which barred him from working with children and mandated indefinite notification as a sex offender. The girl involved later terminated her pregnancy.

During the recent hearing, Fearnall’s solicitor expressed his desire to be sentenced for breaching the order, but Judge Martin Jackson decided that a pre-sentence report from the probation service was necessary to fully assess the case. The judge emphasized the importance of proper supervision, warning that releasing Fearnall without adequate oversight could pose significant risks to the community and himself. The court’s probation liaison officer, Jason Smith, reiterated that public protection was the primary concern and that Fearnall must be carefully supervised at all times.

Prosecutor Tariq Shakoor indicated plans to request the court to record three counts of making indecent images of children on file, further complicating Fearnall’s case. The sentencing hearing was adjourned until October 13, 2022, with Fearnall remaining in custody until then.

Fearnall’s criminal history dates back to 2014, when he was first jailed for his predatory actions involving a 13-year-old girl. His pattern of exploiting vulnerable children and breaching court orders highlights the ongoing threat he poses. His case continues to draw public and judicial concern, underscoring the importance of strict supervision and enforcement of measures designed to protect minors from individuals like him.