Latest Offenders Stoke-on-Trent

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A convicted sex offender is back behind bars after he repeatedly ignored a court order. Pervert David Dingwall Coughtrie has a long history with dozens of offences on his record.

The 54-year-old was last given a 'final chance' in 2021 after he used a fake name to contact a schoolboy on the PlayStation.

But police discovered that he had deleted WhatsApp messages and an image of a child after officers from Staffordshire Police’s Sexual Offender Management Unit (SOMU) visited his home on December 12 last year.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard he did not declare having access to any other devices but a search following his arrest uncovered a games console and a tablet.

Now Coughtrie, of Etruria, has been sentenced to two years in prison. He pleaded guilty to three counts of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and failing to comply with notification requirements.

Coughtrie has been subject to an indefinite SHPO since 2016. Among the cases involving Coughtrie that The Sentinel and StokeonTrentLive have reported include:

• Using a fake name and giving his number to a teenage boy after they met playing Grand Theft Auto in 2020.
• Using search terms such as ‘pre-teen models’ and ‘virgin solo models’ on a phone he was not allowed to own in 2019.
• Hiding mobile phones beneath his bed in 2016.
• Possessing indecent images of children in 2005.

Speaking after the most recent case, Detective Sergeant Laura Ames, of the force’s SOMU, said: “We take the management of sex offenders extremely seriously and will pursue and prosecute those who choose not to comply.

“Coughtrie rightly has very strict requirements that he is expected to abide by, and he has shown a complete disregard and lack of respect for them on a number of occasions. This sentencing should serve as a deterrent for others.”

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Paul Harrison, from Biddulph, is on the Sex Offenders' Register and isn't allowed to be on his own with any child

Sex offender Paul Harrison has broken a court order - after being caught alone with a child. The 30-year-old is subject to a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) after previously being jailed for 45 months for sexual activity with a child.

But he breached the SHPO by being unsupervised with a child. Now Harrison has been sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court.

The court heard that Harrison had earlier contacted a police risk assessor to say that he was now in a relationship with a woman who has two children under the age of 16.

Prosecutor Mark Brookes said: "The defendant, his partner and two children attended a holiday home in North Wales between September 2 and 4. His partner had to leave with one of the children, leaving the defendant in control of the other. There was a two-day period where he was unsupervised. A complaint was made and the defendant was arrested. One of the children was ill. His partner took her back. The defendant should have left with her."

Harrison, of Chaffinch Drive, Biddulph, pleaded guilty to three charges of breaching the SHPO.

Martin Bloor, mitigating, said: "She was aware of the SHPO. Mr Harrison had discussed that with her before they formed the relationship. He fully complied with the order. This is his first breach. There is no suggestion of any substantive offences, no contact offences."

The suspended sentence includes a 32-day rehabilitation activity requirement and 100 hours unpaid work.

Recorder Julian Taylor told Harrison: "You had permission to be where you were. Had your partner been there you would not have been in breach. You should have left when she did."

Harrison must also pay £460 costs. The SHPO is in place until April 5, 2027 and the defendant remains on the Sex Offenders' Register.

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A 'predatory' paedophile sent a sexually explicit picture of himself to an undercover copper posing as a schoolgirl. Kevan Rose was caught after he sent a picture of his genitals to someone he believed to be a 12-year-old child.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard that the 34-year-old, of Percy Street, Hanley, spoke to the 'girl' in an online chatroom on the website Kik under the usernames Daddy K and Open-MindedDaddy88. He also engaged in sexual chat with the decoy.

Prosecutor Anthony Longworth said: "The undercover operator had set up a false profile for a 12-year-old child. On August 10, 2021, the defendant, using the names DaddyK, Chris and the Kik ID OpenMindedDaddy88, made contact saying he was a 33-year-old man, from Stafford, and said his name was Chris on the instant messenger platform in a chat room known as a channel.

"On August 12, 2021 the defendant was told he was chatting with a 12-year-old female child. After being made aware of the apparent age, the defendant sent a picture of his erect penis and confirmed the photo was himself.

"He began some sexual chat and stopped when he suspected that the other profile was not real. It was established that the account was registered to this defendant in his flat on Percy Street, in Hanley, and the phone number was found to belong to the defendant.

"He was arrested on October 5, 2021 and re-arrested in respect of other matters on that date. His phone was seized from him and this phone was examined and found to be on it was an image of an erect penis that was the same as that sent to the undercover operator."

Rose is currently serving a two-and-a-half year sentence for breaching a sexual risk order; failing to comply with the notification requirements of the sex offenders' register; and doing an act intending to pervert the course of public justice.

He pleaded guilty to failing to comply with notification requirements and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child. Deputy Circuit Judge David Fletcher adjourned the case for sentencing on December 2.

DC Nathalie Connolly, of Staffordshire Police's Sex Offender Management Unit, previously described Rose as a 'deceitful and predatory paedophile who knows no boundaries'. She added: "His grossly offensive and abhorrent fantasies involving sexual acts with children have impacted and traumatised many innocent people."

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 A sex offender who breached a court order when he masqueraded on Snapchat as 'Joker' will not spend any extra time behind bars. Paedophile Jake Bull was jailed in 2015 for sex offences and told he must sign the sex offender's register for life.

But the 28-year-old flouted rules which meant he had to tell police of any aliases he used, as well as when he moved house. The offences took place before Bull was locked up for robbery in May.

He has now been sentenced to 28 months in prison for breaching the court's requirements but it will run concurrently to his ongoing jail term. It means he will not spend any extra time behind bars despite breaking the law again.

 The convicted sex offender is now due for release from prison in June 2024, StokeonTrentLive reports. A judge heard how Bull has repeatedly broken court rules after being sentenced for sex offences.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court was told he failed to provide his bank card details to police, did not tell officers he was calling himself Joker on Snapchat and did not notify them when he moved house.

He moved from Newcastle Street, in Burslem, to Zamenhof Grove, in Smallthorne. Bull also offered cash to his former landlord so he could lie to police and say his tenant was still living at the address.

The defendant is already on the sex offenders register for the rest of his life. It follows an extended sentence of six years and three months handed down in 2015 for four offences of engaging in sexual activity with a child.

Now Bull - who was jailed for 50 months in May following a knifepoint robbery - has been sentenced to 28 months in prison which will run concurrently to his present sentence. Stuart Muldoon, mitigating, said Bull is due to be released from his current sentence on June 13, 2024.

He said: "At the time he was living a very chaotic lifestyle. He was homeless and using monkey dust. His position is now very different. He is now a trusted prisoner. He is a mentor for new prisoners entering the prison establishment."

He said the defendant wants to be a counsellor to help people using drugs on his release. Mr Muldoon added: "He is a relatively young man. He has an opportunity to come out of prison and become a person that society would welcome, not a person that society would want incarcerated."

Judge Sally Hancox said: "You made a request of your landlord to provide the police with false information on your behalf indicating that you were still resident at an address when you were clearly not and you had left some time earlier.

"At the time you were living a chaotic lifestyle. You were homeless and using drugs, monkey dust in particular, the cause of so much difficulty for those who use it in North Staffordshire."

Bull, of no fixed address, admitted three counts of failing to comply with the notification requirements of the Sex Offenders' Register and one count of doing an act intending to pervert the course of public justice.

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Sex offender John Bentley has 'lost everything' after being released from jail with no support. The 45-year-old was placed on the register after being convicted of possessing indecent images of children on September 3, 2020 and making indecent images of children on March 11 this year.

Prosecutor Emma Thompson told North Staffordshire Justice Centre the defendant was released from prison 'with no support; on August 11 for an allegation of assault.

He was then given a place at Hanley's Macari Centre but failed to tell police about his new address.

Miss Thompson said: "Due to him being on the sex offenders' register, the defendant had three days to notify the police of an address but he failed to do that. He failed to notify them of his address within three days.

The defendant, of The Macari Centre, Hanley, was arrested. He said he was released but had nowhere to stay before he found a bed at The Macari Centre. He said he had no excuse and simply forgot to register his address, adding 'it will not happen again'.

The court heard the defendant previously breached the notification requirements earlier this year by failing to sign his annual registration.

Steve Hennessy, mitigating, said the defendant was on remand for six months on an allegation of assault and was then acquitted at trial. He was released and was homeless.

Mr Hennessy said: "He had lost everything. It took him a day or two to find the Macari Centre. The court may have sympathy for someone released from custody with no assistance.

"He was located at The Macari Centre without difficulty. He was not trying to avoid the authorities at all.

"The previous breach was the annual registration. There is no suggestion of the commission of further substantive offences."

Magistrates adjourned the case for a pre-sentence report to be prepared on Bentley. He will be sentenced on October 4 and his bail was extended.

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Sex offender Scott Simpson is back behind bars after he met a woman with two children on two occasions. The 30-year-old was made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) in 2014 after he engaged in sexual activity in the presence of a child.

But he breached the order by meeting up with a woman and her two young daughters, aged six and three, on two occasions. And he hid his internet enabled mobile phone and failed to present it to police for inspection.

Now Simpson has been jailed for 23 months at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court. Prosecutor Antony Longworth said the defendant and his partner became friends with a woman who had two daughters, aged six and three.

They met up on February 12 and the woman and her children went back to Simpson's home. Mr Longworth said: "They had a pleasant time."

The defendant left his bag in her car and she arranged to return it to his home on February 19. Mr Longworth said: "He was engaging and played with the children. She was not made aware of his sexual offences or the existence of the SHPO or she would not have had anything to do with the defendant."

Police visited the defendant's home on March 31. Mr Longworth said: "He told them he did not have a mobile phone but used his partner's phone. An officer called the number and it went to the voicemail of Scott Simpson. He was asked where the phone was. He disclosed that the phone was in the bin area. The police found the phone in the bin area."

Simpson, of Hartshill Road, Hartshill, pleaded guilty to three charges of breaching a SHPO.

Martin Bloor, mitigating, said the defendant was not forthcoming with the police about the phone or with the woman about his past. But he said Simpson did not offend between 2014 and 2019 and has proved he can remain offence free and make progress.

Mr Bloor added: "He accepts he has underlying issues. A short prison sentence would not deal with those issues. They may be better managed and dealt with in the community."

But Judge Graeme Smith jailed Simpson telling him: "You are a high risk of re-offending, a high risk of causing serious harm and you have responded poorly to previous supervision."

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A convicted child sex offender who finds it "impossible to tell the truth" posed as a paramedic to accompany a sick woman to hospital, leaving her "terrified" when his real identity emerged. John Lightfoot, 52, broke a court order when he pretended to be a medic called Paul, a court heard.

He took her to seek medical help and escorted her home in a taxi. The criminal even lied to a priest and repeated claims he was Paul when he was spotted with the woman.

The incident on November 12 last year left the woman, who was a victim of domestic violence, feeling 'terrified', StokeonTrentLive report ed. Lightfoot was jailed for two-and-a-half years after magistrates convicted him of failing to comply with notification requirements of the sex offenders' register.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard Lightfoot - who was convicted of a child sexual assault in 2013 - was previously handed a two-year suspended sentence for breaching the terms of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) after going by the name of Jay Maddox without informing the police.

Despite registering that name with officials, Lightfoot was caught out again when he used the alias 'Paul' at the pub in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent. Mark Brookes, prosecuting, said: "A domestic violence victim was in the pub and he introduced himself as a paramedic called Paul.

"She became unwell and was taken to hospital. The defendant went with her and returned from the hospital to her address in a taxi.

"She resides in a property run by a charity. He was seen telling a priest if she came back to his house he would look after her. He was trying to manipulate her.

"On December 3, 2021, officers attended the defendants home and recovered documents concerning a matter of domestic violence. He told officers he did not know who she was.

"In February he was arrested at his address." In a statement read to the court, the victim said: "He made me feel uncomfortable in the taxi. I felt anxious and terrified of him and I dont want any contact with him."

Stuart Muldoon, mitigating, said: "He knows he is going to go to custody and his concern is his mother who is 92-years-old. She has suffered a stroke and is in the Royal Stoke.

"He has been her carer and will be on his release. His concern is that she may no longer be around." Sentencing, Judge David Fletcher told Lightfoot: "You are a man who simply finds lying a very easy thing to do. You find it impossible to tell the truth.

"This offence is extremely worrying and the victim was clearly vulnerable. You lied to her. You repeated that to a priest when you went back to where she was living. This is a deliberate failure to comply with requirements."

Lightfoot, of Fielding Street, Stoke, was also handed a restraining order and will remain on a sexual harm prevention order.

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A 'bankrupt' ex-soldier from Staffordshire who abused two schoolchildren has been locked up. Former tank commander Patrick Elkin's offending only came to light when his two young victims revealed all to their parents.

The sex offender, who is now bankrupt after building up a 41,000 debt, served in Northern Ireland and the First Gulf War. Elkin, 64, has since been branded a 'monster' by the mum of one of his victims.

The mum went on to say his vile crimes could 'never be forgiven'. It comes after he was handed a four-year prison sentence for grooming the children and then sexually abusing them, StokeonTrentLive reports.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard how 'lonely' Elkin was arrested in 2020 after the children bravely spoke out about their ordeals. Elkin, of Longbrook Avenue, Blurton, later admitted sexual activity with a boy under 16 and two counts of sexual assault of a girl under 13.

The boy said Elkin had touched his private area a number of times. The abuse stopped when he sent Elkin a message saying he did not like it. In a statement read to the court, the schoolboy said he might want to punch the defendant if he saw him again.

Elkin's second victim told how he had touched her private area on more than one occasion. She also revealed that he had squeezed her breasts once, prosecutor Tom Sherrington said.

The girl said she is worried he has done it to someone else or might do it in the future. Her mum added: "What he has done can never be forgiven. He is nothing but a monster."

The former soldier was arrested on December 18, 2020. Barry White, defending, said Elkin - who has no previous convictions - fully accepts what he has done. Mr White said: "He expresses genuine remorse, shame, and his words to me, disgust at what he did.

"He has not sought to bring this matter to a trial. He is now a much more lonely man. He does recognise the impact his actions have had on the victims."

He said the defendant will lose all his possessions if sent to prison. He added that Elkin has a number of health conditions and recently became bankrupt after accruing a 41,000 debt.

Mr White added: "He understands this a very serious matter and the custody threshold is passed. I do ask, if there is any way this matter can be suspended I would encourage the court to consider that."

Judge Graeme Smith said: "You have taken those children's innocence. They were very brave to speak out in the way they did.

"Your actions have had a significant impact on the lives of the two children and will no doubt continue to have for much of their adult life."

Elkin must serve two thirds of the sentence before he is released. He was made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and placed on the sex offenders' register indefinitely.

Speaking after the case Detective Constable Tracy Adams, of Staffordshire Polices Child Protection and Exploitation Team (CPET), said: I would like to commend the victims bravery in coming forward to report what happened to them.

Im pleased that the judge handed Elkin a custodial sentence for his offending and hope that it provides some comfort for the victims and their families.

I would like to encourage anyone who may be a victim of sexual abuse to come forward and report it to us, regardless of when the abuse occurred, as we will do all we can to support you and bring offenders to justice.

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A sex offender arrested for spying on mums changing babies' nappies in a supermarket has been jailed. Pervert Paul Thomas was made the subject of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) after grooming and meeting a child.

But, as reported by StokeonTrentLive, the 41-year-old was then arrested in October 2020 after watching parents in the baby changing area clean up their children for his own sexual gratification.

And during police interview, he disclosed that he had been in a relationship with a woman who had three children, including two under the age of 16. As a result, he breached the order by staying overnight at her address without informing the authorities.

Prosecutor Harinderpal Dhami told Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court how Thomas disclosed he had been in a relationship with the mum who had no idea of his offending history. On October 4 he handed his phone to police and he disclosed to his probation officer he had deleted messages received from the Plenty of Fish dating site.

Mr Dhami said: "His phone was analysed and there were 6,529 web entries that had been deleted. There was no suggestion that material being sought was indecent images of children.

"He also deleted WhatsApp messages. There were 507 internet search items deleted. It seemed to be indicative that the defendant searched for his own name and details."

Thomas, of no fixed address, admitted breaching a SHPO and two charges of failing to comply with notification requirements of the sex offenders' register. Stuart Muldoon, mitigating, said: "He is sorry for what he has done. The remorse is genuine.

"He did not wish there to be any interference by the authorities in that relationship. That is why he did not disclose it to the authorities."

Judge Sally Hancox jailed Thomas for two years. She said: "You formed a friendship with a woman who had three daughters, two were under 16 at the time. You stayed overnight with that woman at her home, she being in complete ignorance of your previous offending record.

"You failed to comply with the notification requirements in that you failed to tell those who monitor you that your address had changed. There was no wrongdoing on your part towards her or her family.

"You breached the SHPO by deleting your internet usage and search history on your mobile phone. You remain a risk. Thankfully, nothing found to be deleted was a concern. It was still a deliberate breach of your SHPO."

Speaking after the case, Police Constable Sarah Gifford said: Thomas thought he could lie and deceive police about his activities and cover his tracks. Im glad he has been handed a custodial sentence and hope it goes to show how we continue to monitor sexual offenders in order to bring them to justice.

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A Scholar Green man has admitted possession of indecent images. Christopher Shaw (28) of Drenfell Road, Scholar Green, appeared before Cheshire Magistrates Court, sitting in Crewe on 7th July, and admitted between 11th September 2015 and 19th June 2021, in Scholar Green, he made 69 category C indecent photographs of children and that between the same dates was in possession of 83 indecent images of children. He also admitted making 10 category A indecent photographs of children and four category B indecent photographs. He was required to register with police until the case what is dealt with, reporting to Crewe police station. He was remanded on conditional bail until his next hearing in Magistrates court on 8th August at Chester Magistrates Court for sentence, expected to take 30 minutes. The court asked for a pre-sentence report to be prepared. He is prohibited from using any device capable of accessing the internet unless it has the capacity to retain and display the history of internet use. Which capacity is at all times enabled; make the device available on request for inspection by a police officer and not to delete internet history.

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Police are hunting for a registered sex offender who could be in the Potteries. Today Staffordshire Police have issued a public appeal as officers look to track down 27-year-old Perry Wheatley.

The force has issued a photograph and description of Wheatley as officers have appealed for anyone who knows his whereabouts to get in touch. A spokesman for Staffordshire Police said: "He is a registered sex offender and wanted for breaching his sex offender notification requirements. He has connections in Stoke-on-Trent and Tamworth."

He is described as a white man who is of slim build and 5ft 8ins tall. Anyone who has seen him - or knows where he is - is being asked to contact Staffordshire Police.

Those with information can contact the force via Facebook, Twitter, or by calling 101. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

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Now Peter Cooke, aged 66, of Endon, has been jailed at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court Pervert pensioner Peter Cooke has been jailed after he downloaded scores of horrific images of children being abused. The 66-year-old registered sex offender was convicted in 2009 of attempting to facilitate the commission of a child sex offence and four charges of making indecent images of children. He was handed a nine-year extended sentence. And a year later he was jailed for a further 12 months with one year's licence for acting with intent to defraud the revenue. That meant he remained on licence until 2020. But within weeks of his licence period expiring the defendant downloaded the child sex abuse photos. Some featured children as young as three. Officers seized his laptop but returned to his home three months later and found another laptop which contained more indecent images. Now Cooke has been jailed for 10 months at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court. Prosecutor Antony Longworth said police attended the defendant's home on August 20, 2020 and he appeared to be anxious. His devices were examined and officers found 'ccleaner' - software which erases the use of the internet - and TOR browser, which contacts the dark web. The laptop was found to have 23 category A images - the most serious; 21 at category B and 126 at category C. Mr Longworth said: "The defendant admitted he had been accessing and viewing indecent images for the previous two months. All the images were inaccessible. They had been viewed but attempts were made to delete them." Police went to the defendant's home again on November 12, 2020 and seized another laptop. Mr Longworth said: "The officer was able to determine the TOR browser had been deleted from it. It was sent off to be examined and was found to contain 10 category C images." The defendant accepted he accessed the indecent images. He said he looked at the images when he felt stressed. He claimed he did not get sexual gratification from viewing the images but felt disappointed with himself for looking at them. He said he bought the second laptop after the first was seized by the police. Cooke, of Spinney Close, Endon, pleaded guilty to four charges of making indecent images of a child. Paul Kay, mitigating, said the defendant has medical problems including colon cancer, a tumour on his liver and he is also being investigated for bowel cancer. He said Cooke pleaded guilty at the first opportunity. Mr Kay added: "He is very ashamed of what he has done. He would co-operate with anything the probation service could do to assist him, anything that could keep him at liberty so he could have his cancer treatment." But Judge Sally Hancox said the sentence had to be immediate custody. She said: "He was but weeks away from the end of his licence period. After a device had been taken from his home images of children being sexually abused were found and he was in possession of applications which allowed him to access and hide images. When a further device was found by the authorities he continued to behave in the same way. He was told in 2009 what would be the consequences of any breach or if he acted in defiance of any regulation." The judge told Cooke: "It is clear you are sorry for what you have done. But you are still somebody who indicates you got no sexual gratification from looking at the images. Why have you gone to them? Why have you gone to them again?" Cooke was made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for 10 years and remains on the sex offenders' register for life.

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A sex offender who was jailed for grooming teenage girls has been back in court for breaking rules imposed on his release. Liam Proudman was sentenced to three years in a young offenders institution in 2018 for having sexual online chats with the three victims - and subsequently warning one girl to 'drop the charges' against him.

Having been released, he set up six social media accounts in false names and sent unwanted sexual videos and photos of his genitals to a male 'acquaintance' on Snapchat.

Proudman, now aged 23, also started a new relationship without telling police, which brought him into contact with a three-year-old girl. He is banned from doing either under the restrictions placed on him following his previous conviction.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard Proudman sent sexual photos and videos after contacting an acquaintance on Facebook. Prosecutor Rosemary Proctor said: "The defendant contacted the male using an account in the name of Liam Smith. The two exchanged messages.

"The conversation moved to Snapchat. The defendant started to send masturbation videos and photos of his penis. It was reported to the police."

In October, police carried out a check at Proudman's home and found he had two mobile phones. Miss Proctor said: "He told police a Sony phone was his girlfriend's. It transpired he had been in a relationship for a week.

"He had attended a meal with her and her family at a pub restaurant and a three-year-old female relative had been present. The defendant had not notified the police that he had entered into a relationship."

Proudman, of Yarnbrook Grove, Norton, pleaded guilty to two breached of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order and failing to comply with the notification requirements of the Sex Offenders Register.

Stuart Muldoon, mitigating, said: "The defendant wants to comply with the orders and be clear of offending. They are causing issues where he lives. He has already served the equivalent of a 14-month sentence on remand."

Due to the length of time Proudman has been in custody on remand, Recorder Francesca Levett decided to sentence him to a community order. She said: "There was a clear and deceitful attempt to breach your notification requirements. The fact you had six Facebook accounts in false names is clearly an aggravating factor.

"You have served longer in prison than you would have done had you been sentenced in November. I'm sorry that matters could not be dealt with sooner.

"If I were to impose a suspended sentence on you today, the most I could impose would be 24 weeks. You have already served that, so there's no benefit in you having that hanging over your head.

"The most important thing is to give you some structure. It will make the community a safer place and hopefully you and your family can put this behind you."

Proudman was handed an 18-month community order with a six-month monitoring requirement and a 30-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

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Former World Darts Champion Ted Hankey has been jailed for two years after he was caught on camera sexually assaulting a young woman. Hankey, who acted with an "air of entitlement" was filmed carrying out the attack in Cheshire, and was immediately arrested after the victim reported the assault to police. The 54-year-old pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault, in September 2021, at Warrington Magistrates Court in April. Jailing him, Judge Steven Everett, Recorder of Chester, said Hankey, of Berry Hill, Stoke-on-Trent, would have "denied it to the bitter end" if the attack had not been caught on film. He was given an immediate two-year jail term and has been placed on the Sexual Offenders Register for the next 10 years. After being arrested Hankey denied committing the offence, and - after being shown the video footage - answered 'no comment'. His victim said she has been left scared and depressed since the assault last September. Footage of the attack was played to the judge after the court had been cleared of the press and members of the public. Passing sentence, Judge Everett told him: You genuinely believed nobody would believe her, until you were shown the damning evidence." He added: "You treated her as an object for your own disgusting and deviant sexual desires. "Your self-pity about the loss of status and ability to earn money Im sure you will never play darts again on television. In a victim impact statement read to the court, the woman said she now suffers continuing distress, panic attacks and heart palpitations. She added: As a result of this crime I believe I have developed PTSD. This crime has had a major impact on my mental health. Im very distrusting of males. I find it very difficult to have any physical contact with others. Following the sentencing Detective Constable Laura Bradshaw, of the Cheshire Police Public Protection Directorate, who led the investigation said: "Firstly I would like to commend the victim for the courage and bravery that see has shown throughout the investigation. "The evidence she provided proved vital in Hankeys prosecution and left him with no option but to plead guilty to the charge against him. "While the victim will never be able to forget what Hankey subjected her to, I do hope that the conclusion of this case provides some closure and enables her to move forward with her life. "I also hope that this case encourages other victims of sexual offences to come forward and report them to us." District Crown Prosecutor Brian Forshaw, a specialist lawyer with CPS Mersey Cheshires Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) unit, said: "The Crown Prosecution Service and Cheshire Police had damning evidence of this assault and Mr Hankey thankfully pleaded guilty at an early stage. He has now been sentenced. "The evidence she secured of the assault was crucial to this case and no doubt led to Mr Hankeys guilty plea. "Mr Hankey is now a convicted sex offender and this case may have prevented further offending. "It can be hard to tell the authorities about abuse, but we would like to say to victims that we will help and support you to give your best evidence and bring your abuser to justice." Edward 'Ted' Hankey is a British former professional darts player and two-time World Champion. He recently withdrew from the 2022 World Seniors Darts Championships which took place in February. If you have been a victim of sexual abuse, or know of someone who has, call police on 101 or visit the website. Information can also be reported anonymously, via Crimestoppers, on 0800 555 111.

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Pervert Christopher Price has been caught with 237 indecent images of children. The 27-year-old, of Flamborough Grove, Middleport, has admitted three counts of making indecent images of children; possessing an extreme pornographic image; and possessing a prohibited image of a child.

Prosecutor Zaine Riaz told North Staffordshire Justice Centre that Staffordshire Police had received intelligence that indecent images had been accessed and uploaded on the internet from the defendant's address.

Mr Riaz said: "He was not at home. However he contacted the police to say he would be the reason they were at the address. The police returned and spoke with him. They seized his devices and he attended a voluntary interview."

Officers found 43 category A indecent images; 87 at category B; and 107 at category C. In the interview, the defendant admitted he was responsible for the indecent content found on his device. He said he would carry out a sex act when viewing the material.

Magistrates sent the case to Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court and Price will appear there on a date to be fixed. They ordered a pre-sentence report. Price's bail was extended.