ASHLEIGH WELLER FROM HANLEY AND LONGTON JAILED FOR BREACHING COURT ORDERS AND SEXUAL OFFENCES

In a series of serious legal developments, Ashleigh Weller, a 25-year-old man with connections to Hanley and Longton, has been sentenced to imprisonment following breaches of court orders and allegations of sexual misconduct involving minors.

Weller, residing on Marsh Street in Hanley, was previously subjected to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order after being convicted of engaging in sexual activity with a child. Despite this, he appeared in North Staffordshire Justice Centre on June 9 to admit to breaching the court-mandated restrictions. His breach involved initiating contact with children in a manner deemed inappropriate and contrary to the conditions of his order.

According to prosecutor Maggie Meakin, Weller was at a friend’s residence when he engaged in conversation with children playing in a nearby garden. She explained, “Ashleigh instigated conversation with the boys. He invited them into the garden and asked if they wanted to come to take the dog for a walk.” This act was considered a deliberate failure to adhere to the restrictions imposed by his sexual harm prevention order, which was designed to prevent him from having contact with minors.

The breach also constituted a violation of a suspended sentence order previously imposed on Weller. During the hearing, Zoe Leese, representing the defendant, argued that Weller struggled to understand the prohibitions of his court orders, describing him as “exceptionally vulnerable.” She suggested that activating his suspended sentence might be unjust given his difficulties.

Nevertheless, the magistrates decided to enforce the law strictly. They activated three weeks of Weller’s suspended sentence and additionally sentenced him to three weeks in prison for the new breach, with both sentences to run concurrently. This resulted in a total prison term of three weeks.

Weller’s criminal history also includes a disturbing incident from November 2017, when he was 24 years old. During that time, he engaged in sexual activity with a 14-year-old girl he met on Facebook, despite already being on bail for similar offences. Weller had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual activity with a child in 2015 and was sentenced to a three-year community order at that time.

However, while on bail for those offences, Weller continued his inappropriate conduct. The court heard that he met the underage girl on Facebook and asked her to perform a sex act, which she later disclosed to her mother after noticing a love bite on her neck. The girl believed Weller was around 17 or 18 years old at the time.

In light of these offences, Weller was again sentenced to a three-year community order, which includes mandatory participation in a sex offender treatment programme. He will remain on the sex offenders’ register and is subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) until January 2027. The judge emphasized the importance of rehabilitation, but Weller’s history underscores the ongoing risks associated with his conduct and the need for strict supervision.