TV psychic warned he faces jail after admitting three expenses of intercourse assault as a part of ‘initiation’
A television psychic who claims to have appeared on ITV‘s This Morning is facing jail for sexually assaulting two women during clairvoyant sessions.
John Starkey, 74, was due to stand trial at Mold Crown Court, North Wales, accused of five offences, dating back to 2018.
But today he perhaps forsaw his own fate and dramatically changed his pleas.
He admitted three charges of sexual assault, which were accepted by the prosecution.
Judge Rhys Rowlands adjourned sentencing to next month but warned Starkey, who also claims to have appeared on LK Today, GMTV, The Paul O’Grady Show and LBC Radio, to expect a jail term.
‘Although I am ordering a pre-sentence report you mustn’t read anything into that,’ the judge said.
‘This is an extremely serious case and an immediate custodial sentence, I would have thought, is the inevitable outcome of it.’
Judge Rowlands granted Starkey bail but ordered him to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register immediately.
John Starkey, 74, pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual assault, between April 2018 and October 2022
Starkey was pictured outside Mold Crown Court on Tuesday and was warned he faces jail when he is sentenced in April
Briefly outlining the case against Starkey, Elen Owen, prosecuting, said he was first investigated by police after a woman complained he had sexually assaulted her in Wolverhampton, in 2018.
A second attack occurred in a hotel room, in London, several months later after Starkey tricked the same victim into attending a supposed meeting with other clients, only for her to find herself alone with him.
Ms Owen said he went on to sexually assault the woman under the pretext of an ‘initiation.’
Starkey was quizzed over both attacks but denied any wrongdoing and no charges were brought at that stage.
However, Ms Owen said: ‘Fast forward to 2022, the defendant plying his trade as a clairvoyant in a shop in Llandudno…A young woman was on holiday with her then partner and had an interest in clairvoyance and massages.
‘Of course, during that consultation, she was sexually assaulted. She immediately went to the police and, as a result of her complaint, the original investigation was revisited.’
An earlier hearing was told the more recent allegations related to Starkey offering the woman a naked massage and smacking her backside.
Traces of Starkey’s DNA were subsequently found on a pair of knickers seized from his first victim by officers re-investigating the first attack.
Starkey describes himself as an ‘internationally renowned clairvoyant’ and claims to have appeared on ITV’s This Morning, LK Today, GMTV and The Paul O’Grady Show, as well as LBC Radio, in London and Beacon Radio, in the West Midlands.
Starkey pleaded guilty to sexual assault by penetration, between April 1, 2018 and October 1, 2018, plus two counts of sexual assault by touching on December 14, 2018 and October 25, 2022.
Andrew Jebb, defending, said he would seek a full medical report on his client.
Starkey, who offers his psychic services from a shop in the seaside resort of Llandudno, North Wales, describes himself online as an ‘internationally renowned clairvoyant’ with 40 years’ experience.
He also claims to have worked for several different broadcasters and to have appeared on ITV’s This Morning, LK Today, GMTV and The Paul O’Grady Show, as well as LBC Radio, in London and Beacon Radio, in the West Midlands.
Starkey offers face to face, telephone or group readings, and also reads tarot cards and palms, as well as offering clairvoyant sessions at workshops and corporate events.
According to his website: ‘Clairvoyance is a fantastic tool to help both mind and heart cope with loss and life’s troubles. It can also help with forging a new pathway and direction in life.’
