Drugged and raped three schoolchildren after meeting them at a park playground.

Man Jailed Indefinitely for Raping Three Children After Drugging Them

Darren Mackrell, 45, has been sentenced to an indeterminate jail term for raping three schoolchildren after drugging them at his Southampton flat.

Mackrell, who admitted 18 charges of rape, sexual assault, forcing the viewing and engagement in sexual acts, and drugging, was caught after one of the children's mothers called the police.

The court heard that Mackrell, an unemployed drug addict, had met the children, two boys aged eight and 10 and a nine-year-old girl, at a Hampshire park playground on 21 April. He then took them back to his flat, where he subjected them to a six-hour ordeal of abuse, forcing them to sexually abuse each other while he watched.

Mackrell had given the children cannabis, amphetamines, and Viagra, and had threatened them with violence if they tried to leave. He showed one boy a large hunting knife.

Judge Gary Burrell QC, sentencing Mackrell, said: "As a parent, when a child goes missing, you fear the worst, you fear something bad has happened to them. Something bad did happen to these three young children on that day. Your behaviour towards them plumbed the depths of human depravity. There is no room for mercy, Darren Mackrell, in a case as horrific as this. What you did to these children was truly dreadful."

Mackrell was placed on the sex offenders register for life.

The court heard that the children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had been deeply traumatized by the ordeal. One boy had harmed himself and written suicide notes, while the girl was unable to speak about what happened.

Mackrell was caught when one of the children's mothers became concerned about their whereabouts and went to the park to look for them. She found out the children were at Mackrell's home and called the police when nobody answered.

An officer, after looking through the letterbox and seeing a pornographic video playing on the television, tried to break the door down. Mackrell, who pleaded guilty to all the charges on the eve of his trial, was placed on the sex offenders register for life.