May 2014 Career of Burnley nurse with ‘indecent images of children’ lies in ruins – Escapes prison A BURNLEY nurse who had child and extreme porn on his computers has walked free from court – but his 30-year career lies in ruins. David Hartley Haigh, 52, was caught after he and his wife went through an acrimonious split, she alerted the police and officers raided the home of his elderly parents where he was living. Burnley Crown Court was told Haigh, a former theatre nurse, had been e-mailed the movies and had not been ‘trawling the internet’ looking for them. One indecent film featured a 10-year-old while others included young teenagers, the court heard. Haigh, of Brunshaw Road, admitted three offences of making an indecent photograph of a child between August and October 2012, and possessing extreme pornography. He was given four months in jail, suspended for two years, with two years probation supervision and placed on the internet sex offenders programme, with £250 costs. Haigh was also ordered to sign the sexual offenders register for seven years and made subject to a five-year sexual offences prevention order, allowing police to monitor his internet use. Stephen Parker, prosecuting, said Haigh was married for many years and his wife had concerns about him viewing images on the internet previously. In 2012, they separated, he went to stay with his parents and she believed he had indecent images of children on his computers and related equipment. In November, she contacted police, who executed a search warrant and recovered an iPad, laptop and external hard disc drive and the movies were found. Mr Parker said Haigh was questioned and accepted he had some indecent images on the iPad. But when further examination revealed more serious pictures, he refused to comment. Haigh had no previous convictions. Philip Holden, defending, said :”David Haigh has lost a 30-year nursing career by his actions that bring him before this court, that saw him work as a theatre nurse, with an unblemished record. “It was a job which he very much enjoyed and a job which he will never be able to perform again.” Haigh, who has no previous convictions, is now said to be living on a carer’s allowance. Passing sentence, Judge Jonathan Gibson said: “It is an important feature that there is no evidence of you having sent the images to other people.” * Haigh was suspended by the Nursing and Midwifery Council over the allegations and now faces being struck off the professional register April 2014 Burnley nurse had child and extreme abuse images A BURNLEY nurse caught in possession of child and extreme porn has been warned by a judge that he could face a prison sentence. Locum David Hartley Haigh, 52, admitted three allegations of making an indecent photograph of a child between August and October 2012. Five videos were graded at level four, the second-most serious category, another two videos were said to be at level two and a further 56 videos at level one, Burnley Crown Court heard. He also pleaded guilty to possessing extreme pornography – 12 pictures involving sex with animals – between the same dates. Haigh, of Brunshaw Road, was bailed until May 9, for a pre- sentence report. Under conditions of bail he must not contact named individuals, not have any unsupervised contact with any child under 16 and must live at his home address. He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register. Adjourning the case, Judge Beverley Lunt warned Haigh: “These are serious matters. “All sentences, including prison, will be considered.” Haigh has been suspended by his professional watchdog, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) since his employer, Pulse Staffing Ltd, reported the matter to it in November 2012. The nurse had told his bosses about his arrest four days earlier. He was charged by Lancashire Police late last year and made his first appearance before Burnley magistrates on Christmas Eve. The NMC’s interim orders panel, sitting at the Old Bailey in London, has suspended his registration for 12 months, pending the outcome of the criminal proceedings.