COLIN WRIGHT AND HIS SHOCKING CHARGES IN WORCESTER
An elderly man with a disturbing history related to child exploitation, Colin Wright, experienced a physical mishap during his court appearance in Worcester.As proceedings unfolded, the 81-year-old defendant, who resides on Colonel Drive in the nearby area of Rushwick, Worcester, unexpectedly lost his footing in the courtroom dock.
Clad in clothing that included the use of a walking stick, Wright stumbled and fell backward, requiring assistance from court staff to regain his footing.
The incident occurred shortly after he was informed that he was free to leave the court under the terms of bail.
Wright was brought before magistrates to face serious charges concerning his possession of numerous indecent images of children.
Specifically, he admitted to possessing 21 photographs categorized as Level A – the most severe classification for such illicit content, which typically depicts penetrative acts involving minors.
The incident took place between June 18 and July 20 of the previous year, during which authorities found the images stored on a Lenovo laptop belonging to Wright.
In addition to the Level A images, the defendant also acknowledged possessing 54 photographs classified as Category B and an overwhelming 2,127 images categorized as Category C.
The quantity and nature of these images underscore the gravity of his offenses.
Wright did not enter a plea regarding a separate charge that accused him of breaching a sexual harm prevention order, which was made by Worcester Crown Court on May 26, 2017.
The breach involved installing forensic wiping software on his device, an act explicitly prohibited by the order.
Throughout the proceedings, Wright exhibited some difficulty in court, frequently placing his hand against his ear and once declaring, “I apologise, I can’t hear,” which prompted the court staff and prosecutor to speak louder to ensure he understood the proceedings.
The prosecutor, Monuwara Begum, highlighted that the charges were too serious to be dealt with within the magistrates’ court, noting that possession of Category A images alone could result in a custodial sentence exceeding a year, with the maximum penalty reaching up to three years.
The defence lawyer, Mark Sheward, acknowledged that the case must be transferred to the crown court due to the severity of the allegations.
He pointed out that Wright's previous conviction from 2017 compounded the seriousness of the current charges and suggested that the magistrates might lack the sentencing powers necessary for such cases, implying that Wright's conduct could be classified as a persistent breach.
The chairman of the magistrates' bench, Kevin Lloyd-Wright, confirmed that the matter was too grave for magistrate-level handling and formally committed Wright to Worcester Crown Court for further proceedings.
Wright was granted unconditional bail and is scheduled to appear before the higher court on August 25.
