GREGORY COLEMAN FROM WARRINGTON FLYS TO PORTUGAL THINKING SEX OFFENDER ORDER ENDED
A man with a criminal past, Gregory Coleman from Warrington, found himself in legal trouble after mistakenly believing that his sex offender registration obligations had concluded.This misunderstanding led him to travel abroad, specifically to Portugal, without adhering to the necessary legal requirements.
Gregory Coleman, who resides on Wilderspool Causeway in Warrington, was placed on the sex offenders register in November 2020 following an incident in Widnes where he was observed walking down a street while performing a sexual act before boarding a train.
As part of his registration conditions, Coleman was required to inform police about his passport details and to notify authorities at least one week prior to any international travel.
However, Coleman failed to meet these obligations.
At the beginning of the year, he traveled to Portugal with his elderly mother, who had been living abroad in a religious community for seven months.
The purpose of their trip was to visit her and see her living arrangements.
During this period, Coleman believed that he was no longer bound by the notification requirements, especially since he had not been stopped or questioned at the border when leaving or re-entering the country.
On February 11, Coleman contacted the police to inquire about when he would be removed from the sex offenders register.
He was informed that he still needed to comply with the registration conditions until January of the following year.
This indicated that he had misunderstood the duration of his obligations.
Further investigations revealed that Coleman had arrived back in the UK on February 6, having flown from Lisbon to Manchester Airport.
Police confirmed that he had been in Portugal for a week.
Despite this, Coleman did not notify authorities of his travel plans, believing that the requirement had expired in January.
It was only after police contacted him on February 16 that he admitted to having been abroad, acknowledging that he had failed to notify them as required.
During the court proceedings at Warrington Magistrates Court, the prosecution, represented by Mrs McGowan, highlighted that Coleman had no prior breaches of the sex offender order.
The defense, led by Mr Schooler, emphasized that Coleman suffers from mental health issues and genuinely believed his obligations had ended in January.
Coleman’s trip was motivated by a desire to visit his mother and see her new living arrangements, which involved staying in a religious community abroad.
In sentencing, the court imposed an 18-month community order, which includes up to 30 days of rehabilitation activities.
Additionally, Coleman was ordered to undergo six months of mental health treatment and was fined £120.
Despite the seriousness of the breach, the court acknowledged his lack of previous violations and the mental health considerations involved in his case.
