JOHN WOOD FROM DARLINGTON AND WILLIINGTON JAILED FOR SEX OFFENDER BREACHES

In a serious case that highlights ongoing concerns about compliance among registered sex offenders, John Liam Wood, a resident of Willington with connections to Darlington, has been sentenced to a total of 28 months in prison for multiple breaches of his legal obligations.

Wood was initially placed on the sex offenders' register following his conviction in October 2016 for making indecent images of children. As part of his sentence, he was required to notify police of any change of address and was subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO). This order explicitly prohibited him from having direct contact with a teenage male with whom he had been communicating and forbade him from possessing any device capable of internet access without prior police approval.

However, authorities discovered that Wood had failed to adhere to these conditions. Earlier this year, police conducted an inquiry with the Department for Work and Pensions after noticing that Wood was not residing at his registered address in Willington. Instead, it was revealed that he had been living at an address on Barden Moor Road in Darlington from October until March. During this period, he was residing with a woman with whom he claimed to have been in a relationship for at least seven months.

Prosecutor Rachel Masters explained that police arrested Wood during this investigation. During his arrest, he produced a mobile phone from his pocket, claiming it belonged to his partner. However, en route to the police station, Wood admitted that the phone was actually his and that it contained an email account. Further searches uncovered two bank cards on his person, which he had failed to notify police about, and examination of his phone revealed contact with the male individual he was legally prohibited from communicating with.

Wood offered various explanations for his breaches. He claimed he was unaware that he needed to disclose his bank accounts and phone details to authorities. He also stated that the other male had been initiating contact and that he had asked someone else to tell the male to stop bothering him. Despite these claims, the evidence showed clear violations of his legal obligations.

At a recent plea hearing, 38-year-old John Wood, of Norwich Gardens, Willington, admitted to three counts of failing to comply with the notification requirements of the Sex Offenders’ Register and two counts of breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order. His breaches also included violating a suspended prison sentence for burglary, during which he stole antique collectibles from a friend’s home while the friend was away on holiday.

Judge Simon Hickey sentenced Wood to 28 months in prison, emphasizing the importance of such orders in protecting the public from sex offenders living within the community. The judge described Wood’s breaches as “quite deliberate” and stated that they warranted custodial punishment. He also confirmed that the existing orders would remain in effect to continue safeguarding the community from potential harm.