Latest Offenders Towcester

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The 39-year-old thought he was talking with the girl's mother and planning a meeting - but he was actually chatting with an undercover police officer

An ex-serviceman tried to arrange a meetup so he could have sex with an 11-year-old girl - but didn't realise he was talking to an undercover policewoman.

Neil Bennett, of Mills Lane, Towcester, spent two weeks messaging a 'mother' online with a plan to sexually assault her supposed young daughter.

And, in a kind of vetting process, the 39-year-old even sent the woman indecent images of children to show he was serious - before asking her to provide such images of her child.

But the former member of the armed forces didn't realise was he was actually chatting online with an undercover police officer.

Northampton Crown Court heard yesterday (June 1) how Bennett cancelled the 'appointment' on the day it was due to take place.

"On the day, you had second thoughts and realised what you were doing was wrong, improper, or simply something you couldn't go through with," said recorder Mr Stuart Sprawson in sentencing.

"But it's right that, in summary, you over a period of two weeks expressed a seriousness to go through with it."

The chat logs were used as evidence to arrest Bennett. When detained, police also found 108 images of indecent images on his devices. 50 of them were classed as "category A", the most severe category in UK law.

The court heard Bennett had shown "genuine remorse" since he had been caught.

But the judge ruled he could not spare him with a community order or a suspended sentence.

"I feel I would not be doing my duty if I did not deal with this with an immediate custodial sentence," said Mr Sprawson.

Bennett was handed an 18-month prison sentence and handed a sexual harm prevention order that restricts how he can use the internet or electronic devices.

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A 'CREEPY' night club bottom pincher from Andover threatened door staff with a baseball bat after being identified and thrown out.

Stuart Blackwell, aged 58, was more than twice the age of his victim, who he assaulted inside Caesar's Palace club in Bideford, Devon, after trying to pick her up with cheesy chat-up lines.

She brushed off his attentions and was standing with friends when he walked past her and slapped and squeezed her bottom. The assault was caught on CCTV and showed her jumping away in shock.

He continued pestering her until she alerted door staff who threw him out, only for him to come back half an hour later armed with the baseball bat.

He was seen on CCTV in a crowded area just outside the club holding up the bat before being grabbed by four bouncers and held until police arrived.

Blackwell moved to the centre of Bideford after being released from a 26-month sentence for sexually assaulting a teenaged girl in 2015 when he was living in Launcelot Close.

His assault left the girl frightened to go out on her own. She made a victim statement which said:"He was a total stranger and the fact he was so much older than me makes it even creepier."

Blackwell, now of St Lawrence Rd South, Towcester, admitted sexual assault and having an offensive weapon in a public place and was jailed for nine weeks, suspended for a year and sent on a sex offenders course by Judge Peter Johnson at Exeter Crown Court.

He told him:"This was extremely upsetting to the victim and had a permanent effect on her. The contact was short lived but it was sexual contact nonetheless.

"It is an aggravating feature that the offence with the baseball bat outside the club was in a crowd of people and created a substantial risk of serious disorder."

Herc Ashworth, prosecuting, said the incident happened late at night in December and started when Blackwell approached the woman in the smoking area.

He said:"The defendant told her 'I'd recognise an arse like that anywhere. You'd be welcome at my place any time'."

The woman laughed it off but was talking with friends when he came pas and slapped and squeezed her bottom while smirking at her. She alerted door staff after he carried on pestering her and he was thrown out.

He came back with the bat but was disarmed by four door staff and arrested by police. He later claimed he had planned to batter the doormen.

Ian Graham, defending, said Blackwell did not understand why he had been thrown out and returned to challenge the door staff. He took the bat for his own protection.

He said Blackwell has moved away from Devon to be closer to his family and is currently living on benefits while addressing mental health issues.

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A vile rapist who bit his terrified victim all over her body has been caged for seven years.

Savage Dan Hardy left the woman with bruises and bite marks on her face and body during a horrifying two-hour ordeal.

The 21-year-old sex beast launched the terrifying attack on the woman, in her 20s, in 2014.

In the early hours of a November morning fiend Hardy raped the woman at a flat in Buckingham, Bucks.

A spokesman for Thames Valley police said: "On November 29 2014 between 4am and 6am Dan Hardy raped the victim, a woman in her 20s, during a two hour ordeal at a flat at an address in Buckingham.

"The victim sustained bruising and bite marks all over her body and face."

Detective Constable Michele Weston said: "This was an horrific ordeal for the victim in this case, and she has shown nothing but courage throughout this whole process."I hope now she will be able to move forward with her life now that justice has been served."

Hardy, of Freemans Way, Greens Norton, Northants., admitted the offence when appearing before Judge Justin Cole at Amersham Crown Court.

He was jailed for seven years and was placed on the Sex Offender's Register for life.