PATRICK O’KEEFE SENTENCED IN MILTON KEYNES FOR CHILD ABUSE AND BLACKMAIL CASES

In a case that has spanned decades and involved complex layers of criminal behavior, Patrick O’Keefe, a 59-year-old man from Eaglestone, Milton Keynes, was brought to justice for his past crimes and subsequent blackmailing of a victim. The proceedings unfolded after a series of disturbing events that began with O’Keefe’s own admission of indecent assaults committed against a child during the period from May 1979 to May 1983.

Details emerged that the victim, who is from Northampton, had endured a long history of abuse at the hands of O’Keefe. The case took a new turn when, in February 2010, the victim, now an adult, initiated contact with O’Keefe through threatening text messages. These messages demanded a sum of £1,500, accompanied by menaces, in exchange for silence about the past abuse. The victim’s strategy was to coerce O’Keefe into paying to prevent the disclosure of his crimes.

O’Keefe responded by meeting the victim in Milton Keynes, where he handed over an installment of what he believed was hush money. Despite this initial exchange, the blackmail demands persisted, creating a tense and dangerous situation. According to Alex Bull, the prosecutor at Northampton Crown Court, O’Keefe later admitted to four counts related to the blackmail. The exchange of money took place, and as the victim left the station, O’Keefe assured him that he would not hear from him again. However, the threats and demands did not cease, leading O’Keefe to eventually contact the police after a second demand for money was made.

During the court proceedings, it was revealed that O’Keefe had pleaded guilty to four counts of indecent assault against a child. The assaults occurred over a four-year span, from 1979 to 1983. In February, he was sentenced to 22 months in prison, placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register, and subjected to an indefinite sexual offences prevention order. Judge Michael Fowler acknowledged the damage inflicted on the victim, emphasizing the turmoil caused by O’Keefe’s actions.

Meanwhile, the victim of O’Keefe’s abuse was convicted of blackmailing him in a separate trial held last month. The blackmailer, a 44-year-old man from east Northampton, cannot be publicly identified due to the nature of the sexual offences involved. The court’s decision to withhold his identity underscores the sensitivity of the case.

In sentencing the blackmailer, Judge Lynn Tayton QC took an unusual step by suspending what would have been an inevitable prison sentence. Instead, the blackmailer received a 51-week sentence, suspended for two years, along with conditions including supervision, a nine-month drug rehabilitation program, and a curfew from 7 pm to 7 am. Paul Orton, representing the defendant, argued that the blackmailer’s request for £1,500 was a response to the years of abuse he endured, which he claimed led to long-term mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, and drug use.

Judge Tayton acknowledged the need for deterrent sentences for blackmail but noted the mitigating circumstances in this case. She highlighted the defendant’s long-standing mental health struggles and drug dependency, which she linked directly to the abuse he suffered. Given the exceptional circumstances and the length of the sentence, she decided to suspend the prison term, emphasizing the importance of rehabilitation and addressing underlying issues.