A man associated with the infamous “incel” movement committed sexual assault against a 15-year-old schoolgirl and proceeded to Cardiff, where he attacked two women in shopping center restrooms. Phillip Daniel, aged 34, targeted the teenager in Barry by approaching her while she waited for a friend, as disclosed in Newport Crown Court. He requested her phone number and then touched her calf without her consent.
The girl, feeling scared, managed to break free and escape. Daniel then traveled to Cardiff, where he hid in the women’s toilets at St David’s shopping center and sexually assaulted two additional women. Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke, describing the incident with the 15-year-old, informed Daniel that he had aggressively approached her from behind, causing her to scream and label him a pedophile.
Later in Cardiff, Daniel grabbed a young woman in a shopping center restroom, but she fought back and called for help. Subsequently, he targeted another woman in a different cubicle, putting his hand on her breast. The victims recounted their fears of further assault, with one managing to escape and alert shopping center staff, leading to Daniel’s detention by the police.
During questioning, Daniel mentioned hearing “voices” instructing him to go to Cardiff. Authorities discovered a Viagra tablet in his possession, indicating a medication for erectile dysfunction. Daniel, residing in Osprey Court in Barry, admitted guilt to the assaults on the 15-year-old in Barry and the two incidents in Cardiff.
At the time of the attacks, Daniel was serving a community order for assaulting a female jogger in Cardiff. Judge Lloyd-Clarke highlighted the significant trauma inflicted on all victims by the assaults. The 15-year-old victim expressed how her independence was affected, while the other women shared their struggles with fear and anxiety following the incidents.
Daniel’s involvement in the incel culture, characterized by extreme misogyny, raised concerns about his risk towards females, particularly minors, as stated in a psychiatric report. Following the attacks and until his sentencing, Daniel was under mental health care. His barrister, William Bebb, mentioned improvements in Daniel’s mental health with new medication and a supportive environment.
Judge Lloyd-Clarke emphasized Daniel’s high risk to women and issued an extended sentence of eight years in custody and four years on license. Daniel is now on the sex offenders register for life and subject to a sexual harm prevention order prohibiting him from entering women’s or unisex toilets or having unsupervised contact with children until 2040.
