May 2019

Sex offender jailed after repeatedly failing to register his whereabouts with the police

A sex offender has been jailed after he failed to register with the police.

Michael Andrew Jones, 49, told police at Mold that he was of no fixed abode.

Mold Crown Court heard people with no address had to re-register that they were still homeless within seven days.

Otherwise they would have to register a new address.

But North East Wales Magistrates Court was told Jones had been put up on a friend’s settee but failed to register that with the police.

Deputy District Judge Chris Johnson, who was told he had previously breached registration requirements, jailed him for 18 weeks after he admitted that offence between February 20 and May 2 as well as breaching his post release supervision.

“It is by no means the first time that you have failed to sign on as you are required to do,” the judge told him.

Prosecutor Rhian Jackson said Jones was subject to registration following conviction for a serious sexual offence in 1998.

In February he registered with police at Mold that he was of no fixed abode but then failed to do so again within seven days.

Interviewed, he said he had health, drug and alcohol issues and had not realised he had to re-register being of no fixed abode.

He said he did not remember things, was always drunk, wanted assistance with his drug and alcohol issues but was banned from the services because of his temper.

Jones said he did not remember registering himself as homeless with the police and was not aware he had to do it weekly.

The Mold court heard Jones had breached the requirements previously in 2003, 2001, 2014 and again last year.

On his release from prison he had been directed to the Ty Gwyn hostel.

Unfortunately it had six beds, 10 people would turn up wanting a bed and it was a lottery who got one.

When he could not stay there he was put in breach of the requirements.

Then a friend put him up on a sofa.

Jones found himself in a revolving door situation and wanted assistance to put him in the right direction.

The lawyer said a lack of resources in the community for people in his client’s position meant places were rare and accommodation seemed to be at a premium.

“He accepts he has not complied but he would say that he has tried his best,” said Mr Matthews.

May 2019

Llandudno teenager had some of the most severe child porn movies available on the internet

An 18-year-old Estonian man who moved to Britain to get a better education had child abuse images considered the most severe available on the internet depicting the torture of a tot, a court heard on Friday.

Danil Snjatkovski was arrested at his Cae Clyd, Llandudno, home last October.

Caernarfon crown court was told 31 movies were in the worst category. There were more than 40 other images.

A two-year community order was made with 120 hours unpaid work and rehabilitation. A five-year sexual harm prevention order was also imposed.

Judge Huw Rees told the teenager, who admitted indecent image offences: “When you say in the pre-sentence report ‘I have made the worst mistake of my life’ you are correct.

“When you say, in particular, one of those movies you watched left you truly terrified you were also correct.

“Showing any interest in such images creates a demand for further abuse of children.”

April 2019

Abergele paedophile jailed for returning his mobile phone to factory settings

A convicted sex offender is back behind bars for resetting his mobile phone after texting several women and a teenage girl.

Michael Woodward from near Abergele was jailed for five years in 2014 for inciting underage girls to engage in sexual activity.

He admitted breaching an indefinite sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) handed to him when he was imprisoned.

The order prevented the 34-year-old, of Cae Glas, Llanfair TH from deleting the browsing history of any internet connected device he owned. He was expected to make devices available to police officers on request.

When North Wales Police made an unannounced visit to his home on February 18, Woodward handed over a mobile phone and officers found he had reset it to its factory settings.

Richard Edwards, prosecuting, said Woodward told the officers he had planned to sell the phone and buy a new one.

But it later emerged he had been sending text messages to several females and one of these was found to be a teenager aged 16.

Had the police not intervened it was likely Woodward would have attempted to arrange a meeting with the teenager the court heard.

Mr Edwards said these messages were found on a non-internet connected phone.

Woodward was released from prison in June 2016 but recalled a month later after he was found to have breached the SHPO by surreptitiously buying a second mobile phone, he added.

Woodward had a previous conviction for similar offences from 2006 when he was handed a community order said Mr Edwards.

Jailing him for 10 months Judge Huw Rees said he had choices to make in his life.

April 2019

Rhos on Sea man admitted downloading images of child abuse

A Rhos on Sea man who admitted downloading images of child abuse has avoided prison

Llandudno magistrates heard police called at Sean Ingram’s Whitehall Road home after learning he had visited chatrooms where child sexual abuse was discussed.

Ingram, 56, pleaded guilty to one charge of making a Category B indecent image between November, 2014, and June, 2018, one of making six Category C images and one of possessing a Category A obscene pornographic image.

District Judge Gwyn Jones imposed a two-year community order including 220 hours of unpaid work 

Ingram must register as a sex offender for five years.