Neil Owen

Neil Owen, a 53-year-old resident of Winsford, Cheshire, has been sentenced to prison for violating a long-standing sexual offences prevention order (SOPO). The order, imposed by Vale Royal Magistrates' Court on 28 January 2005, was designed to restrict Owen's interactions with minors following previous sexual offence convictions. Despite these restrictions, Owen breached the SOPO on 24 August 2023 by making contact with two 15-year-old children, an action that led to his arrest and subsequent court appearance.

The breaches came to light during an investigation by Cheshire Constabulary, who monitor compliance with such orders to protect vulnerable individuals, particularly children. Owen's guilty plea to both counts of breaching the SOPO was entered at Chester Crown Court on 28 September 2023. Presiding Judge Patrick Thompson imposed an 18-month custodial sentence, emphasising the seriousness of endangering children protected by the order. "The protection of young people is paramount, and this breach represents a clear disregard for the safeguards put in place," the judge stated during sentencing, according to court reports from the Chester Standard.

This incident was not Owen's first brush with the law in recent months. Just weeks earlier, on 10 August 2023, he had appeared at Crewe Magistrates' Court for unrelated offences stemming from an altercation at the Red Lion pub in Wharton on an unspecified date in July 2023. There, Owen was charged with assault by beating, using threatening or abusive words or behaviour, and breaching a community protection order (CPO) that had been issued in January 2023 after he acted aggressively towards ambulance staff at Winsford Lifestyle Centre. Magistrates sentenced him to 11 weeks' imprisonment but suspended the term for 12 months, citing his ongoing rehabilitation efforts with the Probation Service. However, the SOPO breaches triggered the activation of this suspended sentence, resulting in Owen serving the full 11 weeks concurrently with his 18-month term.

The case highlights the ongoing challenges in managing high-risk offenders through preventive measures like SOPOs, which have been a cornerstone of UK law since the Sexual Offences Act 2003. Cheshire Constabulary's proactive enforcement ensured swift action, preventing potential harm. Owen, of Abbotts Way, Winsford, will serve a total effective sentence of 18 months and 11 weeks, with the court underscoring the need for strict adherence to such orders to safeguard the public, especially underage children.