Latest Offenders Stoke on Trent

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Sex offender Jamie Clarke hurled a smartphone he was banned from having after refusing to use his thumbprint to open the device. The 27-year-old failed to tell police that he had a mobile phone and was using Snapchat.

And when he was arrested, Clarke was caught with a small amount of cannabis. Now Clarke has been jailed for 10 months.

Prosecutor Hunter Gray told Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court the defendant was made the subject of a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) on May 13, 2022. He was released from prison in November last year and placed in a Stoke-on-Trent hostel.

But on December 1 a member of staff at the hostel saw him in his room with a smartphone on a video call to a woman. An officer was at the hostel at the time on other matters. He was aware the defendant was subject to the SHPO and asked Clarke if he had a smartphone. He initially denied it and said he would come with the police once he got dressed.

The court heard the police were not aware he was in possession of the device or that he was using Snapchat. He was arrested.

In custody Clarke refused to provide his thumbprint to open the device. In the police cell he contacted the custody desk and said he was willing to open the device with his thumbprint. But when given the phone he snatched it and threw it against the wall, causing damage to the phone and the tiles on the cell wall.

Clarke, of Rectory Road, Shelton, pleaded guilty to two charges of breaching a SHPO and possession of a class B drug.

Kelly Cyples, mitigating, said time Clarke had spent in custody since his arrest would not count towards his sentence.

Judge Graeme Smith said: "This is not the first time you have been before the court for breaching a SHPO or the notification requirements. It is an order to prevent sexual harm and breaches of it are treated seriously.

"In this case you were using a phone which had not been disclosed to the police. And when asked to provide login details you refused to do so and tried to damage the phone."