May 2014 Disabled sex offender jailed for breaching SOPO A disabled sex offender who stole from two angling clubs has been jailed for repeatedly breaching a court order. Gary Davies, of Firth View Walk, Workington, was handed the sexual offences prevention order in 2004 for nine counts of making indecent photos of children. The 57-year-old had already breached the order, which means he must not use the internet without police monitoring him, four times dating back to April last year, Carlisle Crown Court heard. Davies, who suffers various health problems and is wheelchair bound, had also previously been handed a two-year jail term suspended for two years for stealing thousands of pounds from two angling clubs. He was brought to court again after police discovered he had been accessing the internet on a Blackberry mobile phone, which was not being monitored. Davies was caught out in March after officers detected that his laptop, which did have monitoring software installed, had connected to the Blackberry. He had told police that he only owned a basic mobile which could not access the internet. Officers visited his home two months later and found the Blackberry by his laptop. Davies admitted straight away that he had bought the phone on eBay and was aware he had breached the court order. But he had only visited “normal, everyday” sites like Facebook and eBay. The court also heard how he had broken the order in June 2012 when he was treasurer of Workington and District Sea Angling Club. A 15-year-old boy visited his home twice – once to order fishing hooks and on another occasion to use his Paypal account. Other previous breaches included buying an iPhone and using another laptop. The court was told how Davies had stolen more than £1,500 from the North West Sea Angling League, and nearly £1,000 from the Workington club while acting as treasurer. At the time he claimed he was being blackmailed by a man named “Johnno”, before he later admitted the theft. Mark Shepherd, defending, said Davies had “thrown caution to the wind” by connecting to the internet on his Blackberry, but accepted that he shouldn’t have done. He added that both Davies and his wife are in poor physical health. Davies’ health is deteriorating and he has heart trouble, suspected renal failure, and suffers from bi-polar disorder, Mr Shepherd said. “His home is specially adapted for his physical needs and he would lose that accommodation if he is sentenced to prison.” Jailing him, Judge Barbara Forrester told Davies: “You are unwilling to comply with court orders.” Davies was handed a total of 10 months in prison with Judge Forrester activating a six-month suspended sentence, which had previously been imposed, alongside four months for the latest breach of the order to run concurrently. He must also pay a £100 surcharge. May 2013 MAN STOLE BECAUSE HE WAS BEING BLACKMAILED ABOUT PAEDOPHILE PAST A fishing club treasurer stole thousands after claiming he was blackmailed about his paedophile past. Gary Davies, 56, took more than £2,500 from the North West Sea Angling League and Workington and District Sea Angling Club after agreeing to act as treasurer. But, unbeknown to fellow members, he spent months raiding the accounts of both clubs, squandering cash raised by fundraisers. When confronted by the police, Davies claimed that he was being blackmailed by somebody who knew about his past, which includes convictions for downloading child pornography and indecently assaulting an 11-year-old girl in 1997. In court, he pleaded guilty to stealing £1,531 from the North West Sea Angling League and £1,094 from Workington and District Sea Angling Club. He also admitted twice breaching a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) imposed in 2004. Davies did this by using an internet-enabled laptop computer and an iPhone, which he is barred from doing under the terms of the order; and by having unsupervised meetings with a 15-year-old boy. Beccy McGregor, prosecuting, said Davies, of Firth View Walk, Workington, was given a SOPO after he admitted nine offences of making indecent photos of children. Miss McGregor said: “He became treasurer of the North West Sea Angling League and also of the Workington and District Sea Angling Club.” In January last year, while volunteering for the clubs, Davies arranged for a 15-year-old boy to meet him in his house so he could give him fishing hooks. The same boy went back to the house last June so he could use the defendant’s PayPal account, though the teenager later said Davies did nothing to suggest that he had a sexual motive. Confronted by police, the defendant said he knew he was prohibited from having unsupervised contact with children but “hadn’t thought about it”. In January officials at the angling clubs questioned whether it was appropriate for Davies to hold the post of treasurer. They spoke to him and the defendant admitted owing £280 to the Workington club and £749 to the league. An examination of the books showed Davies used false accounting to cover his tracks, and that he had taken far more than admitted. The missing cash included subscription money and £93 raised from a raffle. Miss McGregor said: “Initially, he denied any wrongdoing. He claimed he was being blackmailed. “He said he was paying £50 per week and that he was in financial difficulty. He admitted stealing from the club and said he’d spent all the money.” Miss McGregor outlined the defendant’s criminal history, which includes 34 offences going back to 1986. His crimes include theft and forgery. There was also an indecent assault in 1991, and, in 1997, while he worked in a shop in Burnley, an indecent assault on an 11-year-old girl. In 2002, he helped a 14-year-old girl forge an ID pass to get her into a nightclub. Miss McGregor said his latest theft had left the Workington angling club with an overdraft, and meant that the North West Angling League only narrowly avoided bankruptcy. Mark Shepherd, for Davies, said his client, who is on Disability Living Allowance, provides daily care for his former partner, who faced having to go into a £1,200 a week nursing home without his help. Passing sentence, Judge Barbara Forrester said the angling club officials would not have let Davies anywhere near the post of treasurer had they known about his history. Davies was given two years jail, but the sentence was suspended for two years. He must observe a 7pm to 7am curfew for the next six months and fully compensate the two sea angling clubs at a rate of £50 per week