He pretended to come to the aid of women in distress - but his motive was a dark one

A despicable predator feigned assistance to women in distress, only to sexually assault them. Darren Barr targeted one of his victims when she accidentally locked herself out of her house after returning from a party.

Five years later, he struck again, subjecting a suicidal woman to a "nightmare ordeal" after promising her safety at his home while waiting for a taxi. The pervert shook his head as he was sentenced for his horrific crimes yesterday.

Liverpool Crown Court heard on Monday afternoon that in August 2017, a woman arrived home in the early hours but found herself locked out, having left her keys at the party she had attended earlier. It was then that Barr approached her, asking for a cigarette lighter before "offering to help her".

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However, Trevor Parry-Jones, prosecuting, detailed how the 49 year old, of Holt Crescent in Billinge, attempted to kiss her "without warning". She fled to a nearby alleyway, but was pursued by the defendant who forced his hands down the back of her trousers.

Barr was arrested after her neighbours intervened and called the police, but he was subsequently released without charge. The court heard that another woman had been out drinking in St Helens in November 2022 but was left "contemplating taking her own life" following a dispute with a friend, reports the Liverpool Echo.

Patrons at Chapel End Labour Club in Billinge found her distressed and invited her inside. Barr then approached her table and, as closing time neared, invited her to his nearby home to wait for a taxi.

The woman, who was struggling to walk due to alcohol, was initially worried but was reassured by a barmaid and another customer, who described him as "an alright type". She agreed to go back to his house where he lived with his parents, who were away.

However, Barr didn't attempt to call a taxi for her. Instead, he gave her Jack Daniels and tried to kiss her.

When she expressed her desire to leave because of his unwanted advances, he locked the front door and told her she wasn't leaving and would have to stay the night. Barr followed his crying victim upstairs when she felt she had no other choice.

He later grabbed her after she laid down on a bed. When she slapped him in response, he strangled her and told her to behave.

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The woman briefly managed to escape to a bathroom and messaged a friend, who advised her to turn on the location settings in her phone. But, when she left the toilet, Barr pushed her onto the bed, pulled down her leggings, rubbed himself against her, bit her nipples and touched her between her legs before chillingly telling her "he could rape her if he wanted".

In desperation, she resorted to "shouting and banging on the walls in the hope that someone would hear her", eventually managing to escape, around two hours after she had first arrived.

The assailant, observed shaking his head during the hearing as the prosecution described the victim as "vulnerable", listened as Steven Swift, defending, addressed the court stating: "This is a man without previous convictions. It is evident that, while serving what will inevitably be a lengthy prison sentence, there will be a focus on the risk factors from professionals within the prison system. In each case, this appears to be a chance meeting with a vulnerable victim."

Barr was found guilty of three counts of sexual assault and intentional strangulation in relation to the second incident, having admitted a further charge of sexual assault concerning this attack and another two offences of sexual assault concerning his first victim. Appearing via video link to HMP Altcourse, he was jailed for nine years.

Sentencing, the Honorary Recorder of Liverpool Judge Andrew Menary KC remarked: "The similarities between these two sets of offences are situations where you pretended to help these women when they were alone and clearly vulnerable in the middle of the night and needing assistance. Instead, you took advantage of these vulnerabilities and sexually assaulted them."

He noted regarding Barr's first assault: "She must have been entirely terrified given your size, your age and the circumstances in which she found herself alone in the dark at night. Although you were arrested, no further action was taken at that stage."

On the second attack, Judge Menary said: "She, that night, was in a very distressed state. She was so distressed that she was contemplating walking to a nearby bridge and throwing herself off."

"You were a regular at the Labour club. It was somewhere you went to most weekends. You, with others, were chatting to her.

"You, as it happened, lived nearby and invited her to come back to your house on the pretext that you would continue to try to call a taxi for her. She was somewhat concerned about the prospect of going back to your house alone but was reassured by others in the club who knew you and said, wrongly, as it turned out, that she would be safe with you."

"In fact, you never ever tried to phone a taxi for her. It was a lie which demonstrates that your real intention that night was to keep this woman in your house.

"You locked the front door behind you so that she was effectively trapped inside your house. This must have been a nightmare ordeal for this young woman."

In response to his sentence, Barr puffed out his cheeks, then leaned forward, resting his right hand on his face. In addition to his sentence, he was given a restraining order that forbids him from contacting the complainants indefinitely and told to sign the sex offenders' register for life.