COLIN HANNAFORD BREACHES SEX OFFENCE ORDER IN TORPOINT

In August 2011, Colin Hannaford, a 52-year-old resident of North Road, Torpoint, found himself back in court at Truro Crown Court due to a breach of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) that had been previously imposed on him in 2008. The breach was serious enough to warrant a formal appearance before the judge, highlighting the ongoing concerns surrounding his conduct and compliance with court-mandated restrictions.

Judge Christopher Elwen addressed Hannaford directly during the proceedings, emphasizing the importance of adhering to court orders. He stated, "Court orders are to be obeyed. Hannaford was originally sentenced for indecent images of children back in 2008." The judge clarified that the SOPO, which was put in place in March 2008, explicitly included a prohibition on Hannaford accessing adult pornography sites. Although such access is not illegal per se, the court considered it a potential risk factor that could lead to further offending.

Prosecutor Philip Lee explained that the SOPO was a direct consequence of Hannaford’s conviction on 15 counts of creating indecent photographs of children. The court’s concern was that breaches of this order could facilitate or encourage inappropriate behavior, which is why strict monitoring and restrictions were enforced.

Further details emerged when a police officer from the Public Protection Unit conducted a search of Hannaford’s computer equipment in April of the previous year. The officer discovered that Hannaford had stored “a few hundred” adult pornography images on his devices. This finding was significant because it directly contravened the restrictions set out in the SOPO, which aimed to prevent him from accessing such material.

Representing Hannaford, Ramsay Quaife argued that the actions taken by his client might be considered acceptable or legitimate for others, but not in Hannaford’s case. The defense’s stance was that the breach was not representative of malicious intent but rather a failure to adhere strictly to the restrictions.

In response, Judge Elwen sentenced Hannaford to a 12-month community order. As part of this sentence, Hannaford was required to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and was ordered to pay £500 in prosecution costs. The court’s decision underscored the importance of compliance with court orders designed to protect vulnerable individuals and prevent further offending.