Locations
Darlington, County Durham
Description
The prolific offender has repeatedly breached sex offender notification requirements since 2004.
A sex offender told police he was staying at a youth hostel due to his pigeon allergy flaring up at his address.
Robert Jeffrey, previously of Darlington, has repeatedly appeared before the courts for failing to comply with sex offender requirements. He was handed a lengthy jail sentence on Tuesday after entering guilty pleas to five charges of failing to comply with sex offender notification requirements, failing to comply with a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) and forging a vehicle registration mark.
At a sentencing hearing, Teesside Crown Court heard his crimes came to light in June when police raised concerns about Jeffrey's whereabouts and made several visits to his registered address.
Christopher Bevan prosecuting said: "The place appeared deserted and police carried out further investigations and were able to ascertain he was staying in a youth hostel in Richmond. Later, the police located the defendant staying in a tent in a secluded part of the grounds at another youth hostel in Northallerton where they arrested him."
The court heard the defendant had used black tape to make an 'E' on his car registration to avoid being tracked. Officers also seized a Samsung tablet which had several non-registered email accounts and a picture of a girl believed to be under 18. Mr Bevan said the image appeared to have been taken from a covert angle.
Asked why he was not at his registered address, Mr Bevan said: "He stated he is allergic to pigeons and could no longer stay at his address. He said he chose to stay at youth hostels because they are cheap."
The court heard the defendant payed for the stays with two bank accounts which were not registered with police.
However in mitigation, Jamie Adams stressed Jeffrey's sexual offending has been non contact and claimed he was forced to leave his address due to allergies, Mr Adams said: "He tells me the reason he left the premises was the reason he gave to the police he became ill because of the faeces of pigeons in the area. He complained about it to the landlord on numerous occasions and nothing was done about it. He headed out of the area to try and recuperate.
"He hopes in the future he can become a normal member of society and can engage with society."
During the hearing, Mr Bevan listed Jeffrey's previous crimes, they are as follows:
- The defendant was first convicted in Stroud in February 2004 for 10 offences of possessing indecent photographs of children. In the December of that year he was convicted again of failing to adhere to sex offender requirements.
- In January 2006, he failed to comply with requirements and was convicted in 2007 after attempting to meet or communicate with a child following sexual grooming.
- In June 2011, he was convicted at Shrewsbury for failing to comply with requirements, possession of an indecent image and breach of a SHPO.
- In October 2013, he was convicted of failing to comply with notification requirements and breaching a SHPO.
- In 2015, Jeffrey was sentenced in Shropshire for failing to comply with notification requirements and again in August 2018.
- In December 2019, he was sentenced before magistrates in Newton Aycliffe for failing to comply with notification requirements and in 2020 he was committed to Teesside Crown Court for further failings and was sentenced to two-years imprisonment.
Sentencing the defendant, Judge Jonathan Carroll said: "You have significant previous convictions. There are multiple and repeated failures to comply with notification requirements. You have persistently and relentlessly refused to cooperate with the orders that are in place that are primarily for public protection."
Jeffrey, 54, of no fixed address, was handed a 40-month prison sentence and banned from driving for 38 months. He must also pay a victim surcharge.