Brian Darby, an 80-year-old former police officer and BBC health and safety officer, has been sentenced to four years in prison with an additional two years on licence for new sex offences, including possessing and distributing indecent images of children and publishing obscene articles. This comes after he was released from prison in 2017 despite being handed two life sentences in 2002 for plotting a rape and murder spree that police believed would have made him a serial killer.
The 2002 Murder Plot
In 2000, Darby posed as a BBC researcher to gain entry to a woman's home in Ealing, where he placed a wire noose around her neck. The mother of four fought him off and escaped. Police later discovered he had stalked at least six women and conspired with his teenage accomplice, Jeannette White, whom he groomed starting when she was 14. White was described by Darby as 'my Myra Hindley'. Their correspondence detailed fantasies of rape, murder, cannibalism, and necrophilia. Detective Constable Paul Johnson stated at the time: 'We strongly believe that Brian Darby was a potential serial killer who we identified before he had the opportunity to successfully carry out his plans to murder women and children.'
Release and Reoffending
Despite the severity of his crimes, the Parole Board directed Darby's release in 2017 after his seventh parole review. Within months, he began viewing indecent images of children online. In February 2026, he was arrested after creating and distributing AI-generated child abuse images. Police also found online chats where he shared fantasies about raping and murdering women, including posts advocating for the killing of wives as an alternative to divorce and suggesting schools train girls to be sex slaves.
Sentencing and Criticism
At his latest sentencing, Judge John Law described Darby as 'emotionally detached and indifferent' and noted his 'entrenched interest in violent sexual material'. The judge said the online fantasies 'echo' his 2002 convictions. Marcus Denning, a solicitor specializing in sexual offences, criticized the parole system, stating: 'Parole Boards base their decision on psychological evaluations and in-prison behaviour, but luring predatory offenders tend to play the part very well... The disparity between what is presented versus actual behaviour is where release decisions go wrong.'
The Parole Board defended its decision, saying: 'We can confirm that a panel of the Parole Board directed the release of Brian Darby in 2017 following an oral hearing. Parole Board decisions are solely focused on what risk a prisoner could represent to the public if released and whether that risk is manageable in the community.' A HMPPS spokesperson added: 'Public protection is our number one priority and as this case shows, we do not hesitate to send offenders back to prison if they break the rules.'
Background and Early Crimes
Darby joined the police in 1972 but resigned after indecently assaulting a five-year-old boy in a Birmingham playground in 1979. He then worked as a BBC health and safety officer, using his position to gain access to women's homes. His relationship with White, whom he groomed as a teenager, lasted 28 years, with the pair marrying twice.
Detective Inspector Andy Cook of the Met's Online Child Sexual Abuse Exploitation team said: 'Darby is a vile individual whose previous offending makes this case all the more disturbing. We launched an investigation as soon as we received intelligence that he was suspected of uploading indecent images of children to the internet.'
