Paedophile 'Santa' at kids' party blames Carlisle church

The unwitting parents whose children took part in the party games and present-giving that involved 48-year-old Darren McGuinness had no idea he was a convicted paedophile, Carlisle Crown Court heard.

He claimed that the vicar of the church involved, St Herbert’s, on Blackwell Road, Currock, knew he was a sex offender before asking him to help out at two children's parties - though the vicar vehemently denies this.

The Reverend Alun Jones said he was horrified when he learned that McGuinness was a convicted sex offender. He insists that all the church’s safeguarding guidelines were followed but a request for a full background check on McGuinness was refused because the two parties were both 'managed events'.

The court heard that McGuinness played a key role in organising both a Halloween party and the Christmas party last year, organising the music and joining in with the children’s party games. 

McGuinness's name and mobile number even appeared on posters advertising the December 18 Christmas party.

The defendant, of Fairfield Gardens, Carlisle, admitted twice breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order designed to keep him away from children.

Brendan Burke, prosecuting, said McGuinness was given the sexual harm prevention order in 2011. It was made as a result of his past offending, which includes convictions for possessing indecent child images.

Its terms mean McGuinness is prohibited from having unsupervised contact with any child, and any contact he does have should in the presence of an adult, and only if the child’s parent or guardian has full knowledge of his offending history.

Nor is he allowed to do any work with children – voluntary of paid – unless he has written permission from Cumbria’s Chief Constable.

Mr Burke said McGuinness became 'heavily involved' with community work at St Herbert’s Church, initially volunteering in the community kitchen.

When a Halloween party was suggested, he was put in charge of organising the music. “He participated in the party games with the children as well,” said Mr Burke.

“Certainly, the parents present didn’t have a clue about his sexual offending history.”

Describing the church Christmas Party, the barrister said: “Again, he was heavily involved in the organisation.”

Safeguarding: The vicar at St Herbert and St Stephen's Church says he knew nothing of the defendant's sordid past.

The posters advertising the party named McGuinness as the contact and included his phone  number, said Mr Burke. “Again, there was a disco and party games, and the provision of food, in which this defendant was involved.

“The parents present had no idea of his offending history.” Because of Covid restrictions there was no physical contact with the children, though McGuinness did dress up as Santa and hand out presents to youngsters in a grotto.

Jeff Smith, defending, said McGuinness became involved with the church after initially helping with a project supporting homeless adults.

“He was invited by the vicar to be Santa Claus at the Christmas party,” said Mr Smith.

The lawyer agreed with the judge that this had been an absolutely appalling choice but the defendant insisted he had not put himself forward for that role.

Both McGuinness and his mother claimed the vicar knew he was a registered sex offender, though the terms of his sexual harm prevention order would not have been known to others at the church.

Mr Smith said: “His case remains that he informed everyone of his past; that everyone was aware of what his past was and while they didn’t have a copy of his sexual harm prevention order they were aware caution should be exercised.”

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Judge David Swinnerton declined to make a ruling on the facts of who knew what.

But he said that the order which McGuinness breached was designed to keep a man with a sexual interest in children away from children.

The judge said:“I approve and applaud his work in the community with adult homeless people; I don’t approve or applaud his involvement with children.”

The judge told the defendant: “You are a paedophile with a sexual interest in children and that is why you are subject to a sexual harm prevention order and have been since 2011.

“You have breached it before – in 2015 and in 2016, and that resulted in a suspended sentence. You breached it again in January 2020… and were sent to prison.”

“You are fully aware of the terms of your sexual harm prevention order and fully aware of the need to comply and fully aware of the potential consequence [of not complying].

“Nothing was more likely to bring you into contact with children than dressing up as Father Christmas, sitting in a grotto, and inviting children to come in and get presents.”

It was the responsibility of McGuinness alone to ensure he complied with the order, said the judge.

“Whatever the vicar did or did not know, whatever other people involved in the community kitchen did or did know, the parents of the children at the Halloween and the Christmas parties did not know you had that offending history.

"That is why you, do doubt, pleaded guilty. You can’t turn round and blame other people,” continued the judge. “You knew you should not have been doing it. The responsibility is entirely yours.”

The judge jailed McGuinness for 16 months. He remains on the Sex Offender Register.

The judge added: “You will have to learn your lesson that you must comply… You need to keep away from children. If you don’t you will find that you are going to prison for even longer.”

Vicar: 'I was shocked and horrified'

After the case, The Reverend Jones said: “I knew absolutely nothing about this guy’s previous history or that he had committed sex offences against children.

“Nobody told me.”

The Reverend Jones said he was appalled when he was told about McGuinness’s past on Christmas Eve last year in an anonymous text message. He then told McGuinness to leave the church immediately.

“I was shocked and horrified,” said the vicar. 

He said his request for an enhanced 'DBS' (disclosure and barring service) background check on the defendant was denied because he had initially worked in a community kitchen and because the two parties McGuinness helped out at were "managed events" and at no time was McGuinness left alone with any child.

The Reverend continued: “All of the safeguarding guidelines were followed. No child was left alone with him.

"I would like to unreservedly apologise to the parents and everybody associated with this.”

The Reverend Jones said he was not at any stage alerted to the defendant’s past by the local police, though it is not known whether any police officer was alerted to his involvement with the church. Safeguarding procedures at the church had been reviewed and tightened, he added.

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