Latest Offenders

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A man has been sentenced to four years in prison for offences involving images of children.

Christopher Cefyn James, 34, of Trym Leaze, Bristol, was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life when he was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on Thursday.

He admitted one count of voyeurism, two counts of making indecent photographs of children and two counts of distributing indecent photographs of children.

James, who will spend one year on extended licence after his release, was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £120.

The court heard the offences were committed between 2014 and 2023

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A MAN has been jailed for 28 years for being found guilty of 57 counts of historic child sexual abuse - including in Herefordshire.

Gary Bennett, 61, of Shenstone Close, Bromsgrove will serve a minimum of 18 years after being sentenced at Worcester Crown Court.

His abuse took place over a nine-year period from 1995 and 2004 across many different areas including Leominster, Bridgnorth, Kidderminster, Stourbridge, Habberley and London.

There were seven victims in total six male and one female all of whom were children or teenagers when the abuse took place. The offences he committed included rape, attempted rape, buggery and indecency with a child.

The abuse was first reported to police in May 2018 and an investigation was launched immediately.

Inspector Julie Taylor, who led the investigation, said: This has been a long and complex case and Im pleased that Bennetts victims have finally been able to see him face justice.

The abuse he put them through is absolutely sickening and is something which will affect them for the rest of their lives.

I dont underestimate the immense courage it took for the victims to come forward, and Id like to commend them on their conduct throughout. Despite many delays in court proceedings, they have remained patient, dignified and determined.

Id encourage anyone who has been a victim of sexual assault, whether as an adult or child, and whether recent or not, to get in touch with us. You will be taken seriously and you will be listened to.

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A Lincolnshire paedophile and former teaching assistant who used two false names to "persistently harass" a former pupil after being released from prison was today (Thurs) jailed for 21 months.

Simon Hildred, 43, from Navenby, targeted the male victim, now an adult, after being released from a nine year jail sentence for sexually abusing two other young boys.

Lincoln Crown Court heard Hildred sent the victim unsigned Christmas and Valentine's cards during a four month campaign of harassment which began in December last year.

David Eager, prosecuting, told the court Hildred also contacted a Facebook community group which was moderated by the victim's mother and visited the village where the family lived, posing as a photographer.

The court heard Hildred also set up fake Facebook accounts in the name of the victim and his mother, drove past the family's home and visited their local pub.

Mr Eager said the harassment began in December 2023 when Hildred sent an unsigned Christmas card to the victim's work address.

A second unsigned Valentine's card followed in February 2024 but on that occasion Hildred inserted an email address which the victim contacted out of curiosity.

As the Facebook messages developed the victim and his mother realised the same person must be responsible for using two aliases.

Mr Eager said the victim had been taught by Hildred when he was a classroom assistant and realised he must be responsible.

In an impact statement which was read out in court the victim described how he was left terrified to look at his phone and did not feel safe in his own home.

His mother described how she now felt wary of trusting people after previously being heavily involved in her community.

When police went to Hildred's address they found a mobile phone which he was prevented from having by the terms of his previous sentence.

During interview Hildred admitted all the offences and he was re-called to prison to continue serving his sentence from 2013.

Hildred, of Top Farm Avenue, Navenby, admitted three charges of harassment, failing to comply with the Sex Offenders Register by using two false names and breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order by having a mobile phone.

Tom Heath, mitigating for Hildred, said he had rebuilt his life and obtained work in a Branston warehouse after being released from prison in December 2019.

"All this is very strange," Mr Heath admitted.

Passing sentence Judge James House KC told Hildred it was only the detective work of the victim and his mother "which brought this to an end."

Judge House said Hildred had "infiltrated" the family's lives and clearly caused them great distress.

"It is the kind of conduct that eats away at the soul," Judge House remarked.

A restraining order was made which also prohibits Hildred from contacting the victim and his mother.

The court heard Hildred, then of Northfield Road, Ruskington, was jailed for nine years in 2013 after he admitted sexually abusing two young boys and possessing over 27,000 indecent images of children on his computers.

He was also placed under a four year extended licence period which does not expire until May 2026.

At the time of his arrest for those matters Hildred was working as a teaching assistant at a school in the Sleaford area after earlier working at an after school club for the children of service personnel at RAF Cranwell.

He was also involved with a number of youth organisations including the Cub Scouts, the Army Cadets and the St Johns Ambulance Badgers.

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A prolific sex offender who repeatedly filmed himself carrying out indecent acts across Congleton and Macclesfield has been jailed.

Lewis Spencer appeared at Chester Crown Court on Tuesday 14 May where he was sentenced to two years and six months in prison.

The 23-year-old, of Birch Road, Congleton, was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register indefinitely.

Spencer had previously pleaded guilty to five counts of sexual assault, seven counts of exposure and possession of extreme pornography.

The court heard how on Tuesday 26 December 2023; Spencer was due to start his first shift at a fast-food establishment in Macclesfield.

The victim, a 21-year-old woman, also worked at the store. She began taking a stock count at around 5.40pm that day when she noticed Spencer standing close behind her.

The victim had a feeling that Spencer was recording her, but she continued working, assuming it was nothing. She then felt Spencer touch her with something.

She turned around but Spencer apologised and put his phone away.

After their shift ended, the victim told her manager about the incident and how it had made her feel uncomfortable.

The manager checked a CCTV camera in the store which revealed Spencer had been carrying out a sexual act behind the victim, without her knowledge.

During the incident he touched her with his penis while he recorded himself on his mobile phone.

The incident was immediately reported to police and Spencer was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault at his home address on Thursday 28 December 2023.

Following examination of his mobile phone, which was seized upon arrest, officers discovered 17 videos of Spencer committing similar sexual offences against a number of women between Sunday 10 December 2023 and Tuesday 26 December 2023.

All of the videos depicted Spencer carrying out sexual acts near to or behind women of various ages, all of whom appear to be unaware of what he was doing.

Following enquiries, officers identified two women from the videos that had previously worked with Spencer.

Extreme pornography was also recovered from his phone.

He was subsequently charged with four counts of sexual assault, seven accounts of exposure, and one count of extreme pornography.

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A registered Kirklees sex offender has been jailed after pleading guilty to breaching a court order and defying a ban preventing him working with children.  

John Noel (63) from Huddersfield was jailed for thee years At Leeds Crown Court today ( Thursday May 16) after admitting breaching the terms of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) imposed on him in June 2023.  

The 63-year old also admitted a breach of a bar offence which he committed by working with children (aged from 5 to 17) as a private Maths, English and Sciences tutor, despite being banned from doing so.  

Noel was arrested by police on 5th February 2024 for concealing a device in breach of his SHPO and for the breach of bar offence, and later charged.  

He pleaded guilty to the offences at an appearance at Leeds Crown Court in April.  

The Huddersfield man had been made subject to his SHPO in June 2023 after he was convicted of making indecent photographs of children and possession of extreme pornography.  

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A Welsh headteacher has been found guilty of sexual abuse involving four girls. Neil Foden, 66, who worked at a school in North Wales, was charged with 20 offences against five girls, who cannot be identified to protect their anonymity.

He stood impassively in the dock at Mold Crown Court as the jury foreman read out the guilty verdicts on 19 out of 20 indictments. The jury of seven women and five men delivered their verdicts on the defendant, of Gwynant, Old Colwyn, after a three-week trial.

The judge His Honour Rhys Rowlands called him "arrogant and controlling" man who was used to getting his own way. He said some explanations for his behaviour "beggared belief".

The court heard concerns about Foden were raised with Cyngor Gwynedd at an earlier stage. Judge Rowlands said: “When real concerns were first raised about the defendant with the county council they were simply dismissed, pretty much out of hand.”

He said no investigation was carried out and no notes were taken. He added: “We now know he continued to offend. That’s very concerning indeed.”

Foden was convicted of sexual activity with a child, using or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, attempting to arrange or incite sexual activity with a child by penetration, engaging in sexual communication with a child, two counts of sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust and possession of an indecent photograph of a child, North Wales Live reported.

He adjourned the case for a pre-sentence report to be made. Foden is due to be sentenced at Mold Crown Court on July 1. The judge told him to expect a sentence of some length.

Speaking after the verdict, Assistant Chief Constable Gareth Evans said: “We welcome the jury’s verdict following a difficult case and thank them for their diligent work.

“My thoughts remain with the victims and their families today, who have shown dignity and bravery throughout the trial and we will continue to support in moving forward.

“I will make further comment after the sentencing hearing.”

Foden’s offending came to light in September 2023 when the first victim made disclosures. As part of the investigation another four victims were identified, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.

The evidence presented included the victims accounts. Those accounts were corroborated by the evidence obtained by the police in the form of mobile devices, computers seized, forensic evidence and financial enquiries. Text messages and calls linked Foden to the victims. Foden denied all charges against him and choose not to answer any question during his police interviews.

Ceri Ellis-Jones of the CPS said: “These crimes were shocking as Foden was a trusted and well-respected individual, who used that to his advantage. He abused his position of trust and targeted the most vulnerable females he was entrusted to safeguard.

“The victims are to be commended for their bravery in coming forward and giving evidence. Their support for this prosecution has been key to Foden being brought to justice.

“I would also like to thank the specialist team at North Wales Police with whom we closely collaborated from the outset. We were able to present a compelling case to the jury, resulting in these convictions".

A Cyngor Gwynedd spokesperson said: "As a council, we welcome the court's decision. We are appalled by the nature of the crimes committed and commend and admire the remarkable courage and resilience the victims and their families have displayed throughout the process.

They said: "As a result, pastoral arrangements put in place for pupils at the start of the criminal proceedings will continue for the foreseeable future. From the beginning of this case, Cyngor Gwynedd has worked closely with North Wales Police to ensure that the Wales Safeguarding Procedures have been followed in full.

"Now that the criminal process has concluded, the task of reviewing work practices and establishing what lessons can be learnt will begin. Due to the serious nature of the case, arrangements are being made to carry out an independent review in accordance with national Child Practice Review guidelines. The exact form of the review is currently being determined.

"Until all relevant investigations and reviews have been completed, it would not be appropriate...to comment further."

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A former Police Scotland officer has been jailed for seven years after subjecting a woman to constant abuse that included having sex with her without her consent.

Christopher Wylie, 47, also offered another man sexual intercourse with the victim in exchange for drugs.

Wylie throttled the woman and lunged at her while he was in possession of a knife during abusive conduct that spanned 20 months.

A judge at the High Court in Edinburgh said the conduct directed towards the victim was "appalling, sustained and humiliating".

Judge Michael O'Grady KC told Wylie: "Such behaviour is bound to attract a significant period of imprisonment."

Wylie was earlier convicted of engaging in a course of behaviour that was abusive towards and to the danger of the woman's life between April 2019 and December 2021 at a Highland hamlet and elsewhere.

During it he grabbed the victim's mobile phone from her and read her messages and continually called and messaged her.

Wylie also threatened to harm himself and sent her photographs of self-inflicted harm.

He hid the woman's car keys and phone and would get her to send him photos to prove where she was.

During the abuse Wylie lunged at the woman and struggled with her while he had a knife, resulting in her falling to the floor.

He also seized the woman by the neck and squeezed, restricting her breathing, and covered her mouth and nose with his hands.

Wylie, who joined the police in 2009, had sex with the woman without her consent and offered another man intercourse with her in return for drugs.

He denied the offences at an earlier trial at the High Court in Inverness but was found guilty by jury.

Police Scotland Det Con Emma Ellis said: “I hope this sentence provides some measure of closure for his victim.

"Sexual abuse has no place in our communities and we would encourage anyone who is experiencing abuse, or know someone who is, to get in touch."

Defence counsel Brian McConnachie KC said Wylie maintained his position throughout although the jurors clearly rejected his account.

Mr McConnachie said Wylie was to all intents and purposes a first offender but was abusing alcohol at the time of the offending.

The defence counsel added that Wylie was assessed as posing a low level of risk of further offending.

He said that during his time in custody he has been transferred from Inverness jail to prison in Dumfries and that his work as a police officer meant that "his period in custody will be more difficult for him than an ordinary person".

Mr McConnachie said: "He fully accepts only one sentence is available and that is a custodial sentence."

Wylie has also been placed on the sex offenders register.

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A Lincolnshire pensioner has been jailed after he raped and groomed a young girl over an eight-month period. Roger Faulkner, of Donington-on-Bain, appeared on trial at Lincoln Crown Court on Friday, May 10, accused of eight sexual offences against the child.

The 69-year-old of Neve Gardens denied two charges of rape on a child aged under 13 and also pleaded not guilty to six other matters of sexual assault. A jury took less than 90 minutes to find Faulkner guilty of all eight offences.

He groomed his victim with gifts and treats and will now face 17 years behind bars for what the judge described as "disgusting abuse". Faulkner will also have to serve an extended licence period for a year after his release from custody and has been ordered to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

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A man sexually groomed a young girl and made her watch a homemade pornographic film of himself, a court has heard. Robert Johnson also sexually abused the child then told her not to tell anyone about what he had done.

The 45-year-old from Port Talbot denied the offences saying the allegations against him were made up but he was convicted at trial at Swansea Crown Court. In a statement read to the court the victim described the devastating emotional and psychological impact of the abuse. Police have praised the bravery of the female in coming forward.

Robert Johnson, aged 45, Fairways, Sandfields, Port Talbot, had previously been convicted by a jury of multiple child sex offences including sexual activity by penetration, causing or inciting a child to watch sexual activity, and inciting sexual activity with a child when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. The defendant was sentenced to 10 years in prison, and was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order. Johnson will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life.

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A 69-year-old man who forced his hand down a teenager's trousers and forced her to perform a sex act on him has been jailed, more than a decade after the attack.

Henry Spark was on his way to work as a delivery driver in April 2008 when he spotted a lone female walking in the dark at around 3am.

He pulled over to offer her a lift and within minutes of her entering the car was grabbing her hand and pulling it towards his groin.

After driving for a few minutes Spark pulled over and forced the then 17-year-old to perform a sex act on him.

The teenager reported the incident to police the following day but DNA taken from the victim's clothes did not match any on record.

However when Spark was convicted of another sex offence in 2018, his DNA matched this historic unsolved case.

After initially denying ever having a girl in his car, he accepted that he did pick the teenager up but argued that she consented to the sexual activity.

He was convicted of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent, assault by penetration and sexual assault at Durham Crown Court after a two-day trial.

In a statement read out to the court the victim said: "I want to articulate as best as I can how I have felt over the last ten years. Since it happened I know I am not the same person.

"I had a naive and childish belief in people. I thought trustworthy people were outwardly visible, I was not sceptical of everybody as I am now.

"I feel emotionally down, and want to stop thinking about how genuinely terrified I was for my life. I want to go to sleep without reliving that night.

"I have done my very best to spend time alone in public so I can prove to myself that being outside the house is not scary enough to warrant palm sweats and heart palpitations. I have to tell myself that eventually I will get used to being outside how I used to be but I have had no improvements.

"I hope one day I can look back at what happened and not feel so raw about it and move on with my day to day life."

Richard Bennett, prosecuting, said Spark was convicted for possessing and making indecent images of children in January last year when he was given an eight month custodial sentence, suspended for two years. He also has a historic conviction of exposing himself in 1973.

HHJ Jonathan Carroll said: "I am satisfied that by the time she [the victim] got into the car you were determined to have a sexual encounter with or without her consent."

Spark, of Victor Street, Chester-Le-Street, was jailed for three years for all counts.

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An Ipswich man who raped a drunk woman at an 18th birthday party at a house in the town has been jailed for seven and a half years.

Sentencing 23-year-old Keiffer Sewell, Judge Emma Peters described the offence as “ opportunistic” and said he had taken advantage of the woman while she was particularly vulnerable, because she was drunk.

“You have been convicted on the basis of quite compelling evidence,” said the judge.

She said that after removing the woman’s clothes, Sewell had stifled her cries for help by putting her duvet over her mouth before raping her.

She said that after his DNA was found on internal swabs taken from the woman, he had desperately tried to come up with ways it could have got there.

Sewell, of Hadleigh Road, Ipswich, denied raping the woman, who is in her 20s, four years ago in 2017, when he was 19.

He was found guilty by a jury by an 11-1 majority verdict after a week-long trial at Ipswich Crown Court.

He will have to serve at least two-thirds of the sentence and will have to sign the sex offenders’ register for life.

The court was told that during the party, the woman was sick after having too much to drink and went upstairs to her bedroom.

Sewell went upstairs with the woman, undressed her and raped her.

The police were called after the woman complained that she had been raped.

Sewell’s full DNA profile was found on internal swabs taken from her.

Giving evidence, Sewell told the court the girl had kissed and hugged him during the party.

He said the woman’s mother had asked him to take her to her bedroom after she was sick, because of the amount she had to drink.

He said he had rubbed the woman’s back and accompanied her to the toilet when she was sick. He denied removing her clothes and raping her.

Juliet Donovan, for Sewell, who has no previous convictions, said he had a young son and a loving partner and family.

She said Sewell maintained his position that he was not guilty.

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A former teacher who kept a "paedophile manual" has been jailed after a colleague reported concerns after seeing inappropriate images on his laptop.

Jamie Alexander Wheeler, 32, was jailed for four years and ten months when he appeared at York Crown Court on Tuesday (May 16). He had previously pleaded guilty to a catalogue of sex offending. The offences he admitted were possessing a paedophile manual, three counts of making indecent images of children, six counts of sexual touching, eight counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity, two counts of taking an indecent photo of a child and two counts of meeting a child to engage in a sexual act.

The former teacher, previously of Riccall near Selby, but now of Leeds, was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders' Register indefinitely and made the subject of a 10-year sexual harm prevention order. The court heard how during his arrest, officers seized 33 electronic devices including laptops, phones and memory sticks. Forensic examination of the devices revealed over 26,000 indecent images of children including 4,721 category A images - the most serious.

Officers also discovered the manual which went into detail about how to groom children in the lead up to abusing them sexually.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Claire Hudson of York and Selby CID, said: “The images found on Wheeler’s devices depicted sickening and very distressing images of children being abused. Behind every image is a terrified child that has suffered in the worst possible way. By downloading these images he has helped fuel the horrific trade in child sexual abuse images, re-victimising every child in those photos and videos.

“While we did not identify any evidence that he was directly involved in the worst kind of sexual offending, we did identify direct offences of sexual touching and other grooming offences to which he thankfully pleaded guilty and spared the victims the trauma of giving evidence at court.

“When his offending was discovered, we worked with our partner agencies to ensure immediate safeguarding measures were put in place, including his suspension from his job and conditions imposed to prevent any contact with any children. I hope Wheeler uses his time in prison to take make use of the help available to prevent re-offending in the future.”

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A stalker has been jailed after harassing a woman for seven years. Shaheen Chishti, 54, of Foxglove Street, Shepherds Bush, started stalking a woman he met in 2016, sending sexually harassing emails and messages on social media.

Six years later he continued to message the victim and threatened to drown her, even contacting her mother. In December 2016 after the first lot of unwanted emails and messages, the victim reported Chishti to the police.

He was handed a police caution but continued to message her on social media and from multiple phone numbers. In September 2022 Chishti contacted the victim again after getting ahold of her personal details.

In 2023 he contacted the victim's mother and detailed sexual acts that he intended to carry out and threatened to throw the victim into water as he knew she could not swim. The victim notified the police that Chishti breached his conditions on January 23, 2023 and informed officers that he would be returning to the UK from India.

When he landed in the UK he was arrested and had two mobiles seized. He was bailed under investigation and given strict conditions not to contact the victim.

When investigating, the Met found an extensive number of messages from Chishti to the victim. There were a large number of threats to both her and her family from the past seven years.

Despite his new conditions, Chishti continued to try to communicate with the victim and was arrested on October 5, 2023. On Wednesday, April 24 he was found guilty of stalking with fear of violence and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment.

Police Constable Helen Constantinou, one of the officers responsible for policing Hammersmith & Fulham, said: “Officers worked hard to ensure that Chishti faced justice for the persistent stalking and harassment he inflicted on his victim. We know that some stalking victims are scared to come forward to report these crimes to the police.

"However, I would encourage anyone who believes they are being stalked or harassed to report this to the police or the National Stalking Helpline. This result shows we can and will pursue those who break the law and ensure those at risk are kept safe.”

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A pervy coke fiend who told a woman he wanted to 'f**k her nappy' then was caught in her flat wearing her thong has been jailed for 28 months. Antony Debono used his victim's Instagram account to send obscene messages to her friend, sent her threatening sexual messages directly over WhatsApp and Facebook, and left 64 voicemails describing the disgusting things he wanted to do to her.

The 44-year-old dad appeared at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Monday, November 13, after admitting stalking and cocaine possession on July 6 this year. His terrifying stalking campaign, which began in May this year, reached its climax when the tyre fitter was caught wearing his victim's grey thong and sniffing coke off her kitchen counter after police were called to her home in East London on July 4.

Creepy Debono, from Creek Road in Canvey Island, Essex, was known to the victim, who initially cut him off after finding photos of her groin on his phone. But she took the weirdo back into her home after he was made homeless in November 2022, allowing him to stay with her and her young daughter at her flat in Woodford Green in Redbridge, East London.

However, their relationship soured again after she discovered empty bottles of vodka in her daughter's bedroom and threw him out. "After that, she kept him at arm's length... She did not want anything more to do with [him]," prosecutor Sarah Gabay told the court.

On May 13, Debono began his stalking campaign, using the victim's own Instagram account to send lewd messages to her friend, including 'F**king you', 'F**king your fanny', and 'F**king your boobs', the court heard. When the victim confronted the deviant about the smutty messages, he denied it.

Then on May 15, he then sent similar messages directly to the victim over Facebook, writing 'F**king b*tch, f**king your nappy, pulling things down, licking the crack of your p*ssy, f**king your arse, f**kin your brain out, f**king you in your red thong, love...'.

She blocked his number on WhatsApp, but the weird behaviour continued and on May 16, Debono left her 64 voicemails outlining his fantasies which included 'I want to give my... a nice good f**k'.

When the victim went on holiday to Thailand from May 24 to June 5, Debono let himself into her flat and foraged through her knicker drawer, throwing her underwear all over her bedroom floor and taking photos of them.

When the victim went on another holiday to Spain, Debono returned to her flat and plundered her knicker drawer again, this time draping a pair of red pants over her bathtub. Police were called by a friend and arrived to find cocaine on the kitchen counter, pants strewn over the flat, and Debono wearing a grey thong owned by the victim.

In an impact statement read by prosecutor Ms Gabay, the victim said the messages made her feel 'disgusted and ashamed', and she felt 'stupid' because she thought Debono had changed.

"Those messages gave me anxiety, panic attacks, chest pains, and bad nightmares. This has made me fearful that he will follow through on these threats... I'm in fear he might kill me afterwards," she said.

Calling the messages 'grossly offensive', Ms Gabay said: "Very serious distress has been caused to her and she's made considerable changes to her life to avoid any contact with him."

Defence barrister Sumita Mahtab-Shaikh said her client was remorseful and is 'making a real effort' to get off alcohol and drugs. "Because of his intoxication he lacked the insight into how his behaviour impacted on his [victim]," Ms Mahtab-Shaikh said. "There seems to have been a troubled background to the relationship."

Mr Recorder Philip Brook-Smith KC told Debono the messages and voicemails were 'disturbing', 'unpleasant', and 'threatening'. "It's plain she has suffered considerably as a result of your stalking her and his made changes to her lifestyle to try to come to terms with the threats and anxiety she has experienced," he said.

Recorder Brook-Smith jailed Debono for 28 months for stalking and gave no separate penalty for drugs possession, except for the cocaine to be destroyed. He also imposed a restraining order that bans Debono from entering the London Borough of Redbridge and from making contact with the victim or her daughter.

Description

A police officer who exposed his erect penis to a Tinder date stalked another woman he met online whilst working in a Met Police safeguarding unit. Thomas Hartill, a former detective constable attached to the North West Command Unit, pleaded guilty to one count of stalking at Highbury Magistrates' Court on Thursday, March 14, two months after he was found guilty of sexual misconduct at a Met Police tribunal.

The 37-year-old, of Station Road, Harpenden, previously worked as an actor and director, starring in West End productions, including As You Like It, Jekyll and Hyde, and The Intruder. After joining the Met Police, the thespian worked directly with female victims of stalking and abuse in a safeguarding unit.

On Thursday, prosecutor Martin Edwards told the court how Hartill met a female teacher on a dating app in July last year, while he was still a serving officer. After dating the woman - nine years his junior - for some weeks, she dumped him.

But rather than accept the relationship was over, Hartill repeatedly messaged her and even swapped phones after she blocked his number, the court heard. Hartill then stalked her, appearing at a bus stop on her way home from work on July 30 last year, and then again on September 7, Mr Edwards said.

"I'm incredibly anxious and nervous about him. Especially as there was a six week break away," the victim wrote in her impact statement. "His behaviour is making me feel nervous. The persistent messaging is distracting and concerning... I am on edge and nervous all the time. It makes me feel incredibly unsafe."

Defence counsel James O'Donnell said Hartill had expressed remorse as he called for an all options report from the probation service. Chair Amanda Gibbons gave Hartill bail on the condition he makes no contact with his victim. Hartill stammered 'I have no reason to' as Ms Gibbons warned him any breach of the condition could land him in prison.

Hartill's criminal conviction comes after he resigned from the Met Police in January 2024, ahead of a misconduct hearing the same month. The tribunal heard how his victim appeared upset and told a friend 'I think I was sexually assaulted last night' after her date with Hartill.

Like with Hartill's stalking victim, the pair met on a dating app, in this case Tinder, then agreed to meet up. The victim said they kissed on a bench, but she refused to engage in sexual activity when Hartill placed her hand on his penis. Despite her objections, he did it again. Later when they went for a drive in her car, she said Hartill exposed his erect penis and said 'Go on' without her consent.

She also told the panel 'Hartill kept bringing the conversation around to the sexual side of a relationship while she wanted a long-term relationship'. In his defence, Hartill accused the victim of sending bikini photos and a nude. However, the panel said Hartill 'probably' accessed the bikini photos from Facebook, and he could not prove the identity of the naked woman as her face was cropped.

The panel was satisfied with the victim's evidence that Hartill placed her hand on his penis twice, without consent, and exposed himself in the car. They also heard evidence of the impact on the victim, who said she would now 'freeze' if she heard a police siren and had started therapy to help her cope with Hartill's behaviour.

In its ruling, the panel concluded Hartill's behaviour was repeated, deliberate, and he was seeking sexual gratification. Had Hartill not already resigned, the panel found he was guilty of gross misconduct and would have been sacked anyway.

On Friday, March 15, a Met Police spokesperson confirmed 'former DC Hartill did work in a safeguarding unit, therefore would have come into contact with victims of stalking offences'.

Chief Superintendent Sara Leach, leading the Met’s North West Policing Command, said: "There is no excuse for the actions of this officer. In his former role as a police officer he would have been aware of the devastating consequences of stalking, therefore this makes his offending all the more disappointing.

"PC Hartill has been dismissed from the Met and he has been added to a barred list, held by the College of Policing, which means he cannot be employed by a police force again." After his conviction on Thursday, Hartill will be sentenced at the same court in April.