Military News Today

On Friday 14th October 2022, Julian Timothy Darch now known as Tim Darch was at the Swindon Crown Court for his hearing where 8 counts against him were read out including more than one of child rape of which he pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Mr Darch now residing in Southdrop Road, Kingsway, Quedgeley in Gloucestershire was released on unconditional bail, to return for trial on 8th May 2023, but in one of several last ditch attempts to have the trail thrown out and charges dropped, Mr Darch’s Barrister appeared in the Swindon Crown Court to ask for a health assessment to be done to assess if Mr Darch was both mentally & physically well enough for court due to mental health issues and heart problems.  

In September, Mr Darch’s Barrister returned to court to hear the courts decision on Mr Darch’s health which found that he was mentally competent and physically fit to stand trial.

Mr Darch first appeared on the scene as a child predator in 2017 after pleading guilty to ten counts of making and possessing child pornography at the Swindon Magistrates Court on 22nd August 2017.  Darch was handed a community service order, fined £250 along with a victim surcharge of £85 and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 5yrs.

Officers found approximately 100 illegal images and videos of children on Mr Darch’s electronic devices which also included some which were described as Category A images.

At the time of being found guilty of the child pornography charges, Mr Darch soon moved from Chippenham to Lynham where the following year he became a councillor for Lynham & Bradensoke Parish Council via a proxy vote by the then councillors.  When contacted a number of former Parish councillors who were on the council with Mr Darch were shocked and horrified to hear that just a year before he had been convicted of child porn and was on the sex offenders register whilst being a councillor.

One former Lynham & Bradenstoke councillor who wished to be anonymous said although he was shocked to hear about Mr Darch and sick to his stomach, he said he wasn’t surprised such a person could be voted onto the council, stating the council was not fit for purpose.  He did say that Mr Darch came across as a very friendly guy and was very competent as a councillor, and remembered numerous conversation about his past in the RAF where he claimed to have been shot in Northern Ireland and his love of archaeology and his appearance on the Channel 4 Time Team program hosted by actor Tony Robinson. 

If all councillors were DBS checked after becoming a councillor, any criminal offences would be flagged up at the very beginning.  As a councillor Mr Darch was seen as a pillar of the community and given the opportunity to assimilate into a small community unaware of his past.  

When speaking to Wiltshire Council Councillor Allison Bucknell who also sits on the Councils Ethics Committee and knew Mr Darch was lost for words when asked about how a registered sex offender could become councillor agreed something should be done to never let this happen again but wasn’t sure if making it law for all councillors to be DBS checked would be the answer, but agreed that DBS checks would be a good place to start.

Mr Darch stepped down from the Lynham & Bradenstoke Parish Council in 2020, around the time the Wiltshire Police were informed about other child related allegations.  In the spring of 2022 Mr Darch was charged and appeared in the Swindon Magistrate Court at the end of September this year and entered his plea of not guilty at the Swindon Crown Court earlier this month.

Looking at the past three addresses that Mr Darch has lived since 2012, Chippenham, Lynham and now Quedgeley have been no further than 50yrds from Primary Schools whilst also being on the register.  

In the UK there is no public sex offenders register like in the US to inform the public about people who pose a risk to children, although not law there is something often called Sarahs Law where parents and guardians in certain police service areas under the governments child sex offenders disclosure scheme can apply for information.

Mr Darch is now set for trial at Swindon Crown Court on 5th February 2024 where the judge has stated no further delays will be accepted.  The charges against Mr Darch include four counts of indecent assault of a male under the age of 16yrs and four counts of rape of a male under the age of 16yrs including multiple victims.