BERNARD BROOKES IN BOLTON JAILED FOR SECRET RELATIONSHIP AND BREACH OF SEX OFFENDER ORDER
A convicted sex offender from Bolton has been sentenced to prison after concealing his criminal past from a new partner.In 2010, Bernard Brookes was sentenced to six years for engaging in sexual activity with a girl under 13 and was placed under a lifelong sexual offences prevention order.
Though he was supervised in the community, Bolton Crown Court was told that Brookes lied to his sex offender manager, claiming he was single.
In truth, he had begun a relationship with a woman who had children but failed to disclose his past for several months.
Prosecutor Amanda Johnson explained, “Under the terms of the sexual offences prevention order, 48-year-old Brookes is barred from approaching or communicating with children and is prohibited from allowing children into his home.” She added that in March last year, during a routine visit by his offender manager, Brookes stated he was single and had no interest in a relationship.
However, by September 2020, authorities discovered that Brookes was indeed involved with a woman who had children, and social services, along with police, became aware of this.
The woman involved told police that she had been involved with Brookes for just over a year but ended the relationship after learning about his past.
“She said she was never told about his history during their relationship,” said Miss Johnson.
It was also revealed that the woman had visited Brookes’ flat with her children, and he had visited her home, sometimes staying overnight.
However, according to her, he had never been alone with the children.
When she ended the relationship, she explained, Brookes said he hadn’t disclosed his past because he was ashamed of it.
She described feeling betrayed and deceived.
Brookes claimed he had little to do with or interest in the children.
Nonetheless, police found a calendar at his flat with circled school holidays and children's birthdays, indicating some awareness.
During arrest, Brookes falsely stated he was not in a relationship with the woman and only visited her when the children weren’t there.
He, of Rishton Lane, Bolton, pleaded guilty to two counts of breaching his sexual offences prevention order.
Defense lawyer Kate Roxburgh noted, “There is no suggestion that these breaches were, in any way, a precursor to a sexual offence on children.” Judge Graeme Smith sentenced Brookes to 12 months in prison.
The judge emphasized that Brookes poses a high risk of harm to children and had contacted children in breach of the restrictions.
“You had contact with children when you should not have,” he said.
The judge acknowledged that Brookes’ concealment of his past added to the violation, especially since the children’s mother was unaware of his convictions and the order banning him from being around children.
“You tried to hide the relationship from your offender manager,” Judge Smith stated, adding that the breaches were persistent over time but did not involve actual harm or threats to the children involved.
