In 2018, the Offender Database recorded that 25-year-old Paul Roe was handed a ten-year extended sentence after a series of random and disturbing attacks on women and children. Roe—of no fixed address, but formerly of Maythorne Avenue, Batley, West Yorkshire—targeted a 17-year-old girl at Dewsbury bus station, grabbing her by the hair and punching her 17 times to the head. It was reported that the assault, which was captured on CCTV, only ended when members of the public intervened to save the victim.
The investigation established that Roe’s violence was part of a long-running pattern of predatory behaviour across West Yorkshire. Leeds Crown Court heard that in September 2017, Roe approached a couple walking with their three-year-old daughter on St Johns Road, Huddersfield. He followed the family before striking the mother over the head with a length of wood with such force that the weapon broke. The prosecution reported that the victim’s husband suffered a broken finger while attempting to defend his wife and child from the unprovoked attack.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that Roe was already the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for a previous offence against a young girl at the time of these crimes. Leeds Crown Court heard that in May 2018, Roe followed two schoolgirls, aged 14 and 15, along Halifax Road, Dewsbury. Despite the girls seeking refuge in a shop, Roe waited outside and continued to follow them, making graphic sexual comments before throwing a large stone that struck one of the girls on the arm.
Recorder John Thackray presided over the sentencing, describing Roe as a serious risk to the public. For his actions in Dewsbury, Huddersfield, and Batley, Roe pleaded guilty to three counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, two of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, possession of an offensive weapon, and two breaches of his SHPO. The judge noted that the custodial term of four years would be followed by an extended six-year period on licence to ensure long-term public protection.
Status and Statutory Requirements
For the records reported in West Yorkshire, the status of Paul Roe as of April 4, 2026, was as follows:
- Custodial Status: RELEASED (Served 4-year custodial term; currently under 6-year extended licence).
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements are active.
- SHPO Status: Sexual Harm Prevention Order active (Subject to lifelong review).
- Licence Status: 6-year extended prison licence active (Subject to immediate recall until circa 2028).
- Legal Status: CONVICTED (ABH; Inciting a child to engage in sexual activity; Breach of SHPO; 8 counts total).
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Leeds Crown Court; investigated by West Yorkshire Police.
- Criminal Record: Punching a 17-year-old 17 times; Attacking a mother with wood; Stalking schoolgirls.
- Origin: Maythorne Avenue, Batley, West Yorkshire.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Roe is managed as a high-risk dangerous predator within the Batley and Dewsbury areas. Due to the nature of his conduct—which involved random, unprovoked violence against women in the presence of toddlers and the stalking of children in school uniform—his management is a maximum priority for the West Yorkshire MAPPA (Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements) team. Authorities state that his history of breaching court orders while actively preying on the public indicates a high level of volatility.
As a registered sex offender, then 25-year-old Roe’s details are permanently logged on the national police database. Authorities state that his six-year extended licence allows for his immediate return to prison if he displays any “disturbing” behaviour or approaches lone females. Any failure to notify police of his movements, any unauthorized presence at bus stations or near schools, or any further breaches of his SHPO will result in his removal from the community to prevent further predatory violence.
QUESTION – Given that the offender was already subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order when he committed these violent attacks, do you believe that “Automatic Recall” to prison should be mandatory for a first-time breach of an SHPO, regardless of the nature of the breach?
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