Child rapist, 45, who attacked three under-tens was caught when officers broke down door as they saw a porn film playing through letterbox and found children inside

• Darren Mackrell pleaded guilty to raping three children and forcing them to sexually abuse each other last year
• He 'stupefied' them with drugs during the six-hour ordeal at his house
• He lured the children, all under ten, from a nearby park
• Police broke his door down after they saw a porn film playing through letterbox
• Mackrell admitted 18 charges at court
• The Judge said it was 'an abhorrent thing to do'

A child rapist, who attacked three young children in a ‘truly abhorrent’ way, was caught by police when they saw a porn film playing through the letterbox of his house after he lured the children there.
Darren Mackrell, 45, pleaded guilty to raping the children he had drugged and forced to sexually abuse each other while he watched in a six-hour ordeal.
In what Judge Gary Burrell QC called a ‘truly abhorrent thing to do’, two boys aged eight and ten years old, and a girl, nine, were lured to Mackrell’s flat in Southampton, Hampshire, after he approached them in a nearby park.

Truly abhorrent: Darren Mackrell lured three children under ten to his house in this street in Southampton, Hampshire, where he sexually abused them, forcing them also to abuse each other

Judge Burrell said today Mackrell was likely to spend a long time behind bars at his trial. One of the parents yelled from the public gallery that he should hang.
The children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were drugged with cannabis, amphetamine and Viagra by the unemployed man before he abused them on April 21 last year.
One of the children’s mothers alerted police when she became concerned for her child’s whereabouts after finding out they had gone to Mackrell’s house.

Drugged children: Mackrell gave the children Viagra, cannabis and amphetamine to 'stupefy' them during the six hour ordeal

When Mackrell did not answer the door, she phoned police who broke the door down when a porn film was seen playing through the letterbox.
The children were found in the house and Mackrell was arrested.
Today he admitted 18 charges of raping the three children, sexually assaulting them, causing them to engage in sexual activity, forcing them to watch a sexual act and administering drugs.
Judge Burrell told the drug addict he was ordering a pre-sentence report to find out how dangerous Mackrell was to children.
He said: ‘You pleaded guilty today to the rape of three children aged, 10, nine and eight. You forced these children to engage in sexual activity between themselves, a truly abhorrent thing to do.
‘You administered drugs to them, including cannabis, amphetamines and Viagra with the intention of stupefying them.
‘As night follows day, you will be sentenced to a very lengthy sentence in any event. 
‘If you satisfy the criteria of dangerousness or imprisonment for public protection, you could be subject to a life sentence.’
Mackrell pleaded guilty to all the charges on the eve of his trial at Southampton Crown Court before the judge adjourned the case for sentencing at Winchester Crown Court on September 21.
As Mackrell was taken down, one tearful mother of a victim shouted: ‘It’s not over until I say it’s over.’
Another mother shouted: ‘He should hang.’
Judge Burrell responded: ‘The court understands the situation you are in and your outburst is perfectly understandable.’

Sentencing in September: The judge has adjourned Mackrell's sentencing to Winchester Crown Court in September and said he could be subject to a life sentence