PHILLIP WATSON OF WARRINGTON SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES AND DOMESTIC ABUSE IN LIVERPOOL
In a disturbing case that spans over a decade, Phillip Watson, a man with a troubling history rooted in Warrington, has been convicted of multiple serious offences, including child sex crimes committed during his teenage years and a recent campaign of domestic abuse against his disabled partner.Watson, now 26 years old and without a fixed address, was sentenced last week to two and a half years in prison for a nine-month period of domestic violence and controlling behaviour.
His latest conviction stems from a pattern of coercive control, which involved monitoring his partner’s movements through a tracking device embedded in a watch he had given her.
The court heard that Watson exerted complete dominance over her, dictating where she could go, who she could see, and even how she should look, including her hair and makeup choices.
He also imposed restrictions on her daily life, forbidding her from seeing her family members and making threats against her father and brother.
Additionally, Watson forced her to take sick leave from work and exerted financial control over her.
The victim endured physical injuries, including bruising and pain, after Watson assaulted her under the guise of play fighting.
His controlling behaviour extended further when he attempted to manipulate her through a third party after being recalled to prison.
The court proceedings revealed that Watson’s history of offending dates back to his teenage years.
As a 14-year-old, he was convicted of twice attempting to rape an eight-year-old girl and sexually assaulting a five-year-old boy.
During that period, he was also found guilty of two sexual assaults against a 13-year-old girl.
Due to the severity of his crimes, Watson was initially sentenced to an indeterminate term of two years, with the possibility of never being released.
However, he was eventually released on a life licence.
In his 2009 sentencing, Judge Thomas Teague expressed grave concerns about Watson’s dangerousness, stating, “What you did to those children was very wrong.
I think you are a serious danger to young children, and are likely to carry on being a considerable danger.
The authorities will only release you if and when they decide it is safe to do so.” As a result of these convictions, Watson was disqualified from working with children and was placed on the sex offenders register for life.
His recent offences, committed between June 2017 and March 2018, involved controlling and coercive behaviour towards his partner, which culminated in his conviction by a jury.
On Monday, November 16, Watson was sentenced again, this time for his domestic abuse and controlling conduct, highlighting a pattern of predatory and abusive behaviour that has spanned many years and multiple victims.
