PHILLIP CLOUGH'S REIGN OF HORROR IN DERBY AND MACKWORTH: SERIAL PAEDOPHILE STRIKES AGAIN

In a disturbing series of events spanning over a decade, Phillip Clough, a known sex offender from Derby and Mackworth, has once again demonstrated his dangerous propensity for harming children. His latest crimes, committed in July 2017, have led to his conviction and a stark warning from the court that he remains a significant threat to the safety of young children in the area.

Clough, aged 39 at the time of the latest incident, was found to have lured two 11-year-old girls into nearby bushes under the guise of performing a magic trick. The Derby Crown Court heard how Clough, despite being under a court-imposed ban from entering parks, approached a group of girls in Alvaston and asked if they wanted to see some magic. When two of the girls followed him into the bushes, he engaged in inappropriate behavior, instructing them to squat and open their legs, and to rub their stomachs while touching their clothing. Fortunately, other girls intervened, causing Clough to apologize for the failed magic trick and leave the scene.

Police responded swiftly, arresting Clough and discovering a disturbing cache of 3,346 indecent images of children aged between four and thirteen on his mobile phone. The court was informed that Clough’s criminal history dates back to 2002, when he was first jailed for 15 months after attracting the attention of children and engaging in self-stimulatory behavior in their presence. Over the years, he has accumulated a lengthy record of offenses, including eight counts of gross indecency with children aged between seven and fourteen, and an indecent assault on a 14-year-old girl. He was subjected to a sexual offences prevention order and registered as a sex offender for ten years.

Despite these measures, Clough breached the conditions of his order in 2008, resulting in a three-year community order. The following year, he was sentenced to four and a half years in prison after being convicted of possessing indecent images of children and engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a minor. After his release in December 2010, Clough’s criminal behavior persisted. In May 2011, he was caught making obscene suggestions to a five-year-old girl in Mackworth’s Knightsbridge Park, which led to a three-year prison sentence.

During the recent court proceedings, Clough admitted to possessing indecent images of children and two counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity. Recorder Dean Kershaw sentenced him to three years in prison, emphasizing that Clough remains a danger to children. The court also imposed a four-year licence period following his release, during which he must adhere to strict conditions to prevent further offenses.

Following the sentencing, the mother of one of the 11-year-old victims expressed her relief at the length of Clough’s sentence but also her disbelief at the extent of his previous offenses. She remarked, “I’m glad he got a decent sentence. But I couldn’t believe it when I heard in court about all those other offences he had committed before. I cannot believe he was allowed out to do it again.”

In a related incident in May 2012, Clough, then aged 35, was released after serving half of his sentence for his fourth conviction of child sex offenses. Despite being ordered to live in a bail hostel and banned from parks, he broke his restrictions by returning to Knightsbridge Park in Mackworth and making obscene suggestions to a five-year-old girl. This breach resulted in a new three-year sentence, with a probation spokesman acknowledging that complete risk elimination is impossible, but stressing the importance of monitoring and restrictions.

Clough’s criminal history includes his first offense at age 18 in 1995, when he received a conditional discharge for indecent exposure. His pattern of offending escalated over the years, with multiple convictions and breaches of court orders. His repeated violations highlight the ongoing challenge faced by authorities in managing offenders like Clough, who continue to pose a serious risk to children in Derby and Mackworth.

Judge Andrew Hamilton, addressing Clough during sentencing, stated, “You had only been out of prison for a few months for almost identical offences. It must have been a very frightening experience for the girl and something that she will remember for a long time or her whole life.” The judge also issued a new sexual offences order, banning Clough from entering parks or leisure centers used by children and from coming within 50 meters of such areas. He warned that any further offense could lead to an indeterminate sentence, effectively removing his chance of release if deemed a danger to the public.

Experts from the Probation Service and child protection organizations emphasized the importance of strict monitoring and enforcement of restrictions for offenders like Clough. A spokesman from Derbyshire Probation Trust explained that while extensive restrictions are applied, it is impossible to eliminate all risk, underscoring the ongoing need for vigilance and intervention to protect vulnerable children.