NEIL THORNEYWORK SHOCKS EVESHAM WITH TENS OF THOUSANDS OF INDECENT IMAGES AND THEFT AT BROADWAY TOWER

In a disturbing case that has sent shockwaves through the community of Evesham, Neil Thorneywork, a man with a history of museum work and local political involvement, has been found guilty of possessing an alarming number of indecent images of children. The court proceedings revealed that Thorneywork, now residing in Shrewsbury, was caught with tens of thousands of such images stored on his personal computer, raising serious concerns about his conduct and the safety of children.

The case came to light when police officers, executing a warrant at Thorneywork’s residence on Medway Road in Evesham, arrived to arrest him on charges related to theft and fraud connected to the Broadway Tower museum, a local landmark near Evesham. During the arrest, officers observed Thorneywork mouthing instructions to his wife to dispose of USB drives, which they later recovered and examined. The investigation uncovered a staggering collection of indecent images, including 115 of the most serious Category A, 105 Category B, and 159 Category C images. Most of these images depicted young girls aged between 11 and 13, with many being moving pictures, highlighting the disturbing nature of the material.

Judge Nicolas Cartwright, presiding at Worcester Crown Court, addressed Thorneywork directly, emphasizing the gravity of the images found. The judge pointed out that these images represented real victims of abuse, regardless of where the abuse occurred in the world. “Think how anyone would react if their wife, as a girl, their sister, their mother, or their daughter, was abused to satisfy the demand of people like you,” he stated. Despite the severity of the images, the judge noted that a custodial sentence would only result in a few months served, and thus, a community order was deemed appropriate to address Thorneywork’s deviant interests.

As part of his sentence, Thorneywork, aged 61, was given a two-year community order that includes structured activities aimed at tackling his offending behavior. Additionally, he was ordered to pay £500 in court costs and was subjected to a five-year sexual harm prevention order, which restricts his access to computers and contact with children. The court’s decision was influenced by Thorneywork’s earlier guilty plea in February to charges of theft and fraud, for which he received a 12-month prison sentence suspended for two years, along with an order to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and pay £1,750 in compensation to Broadway Tower Country Park.

The court proceedings also shed light on Thorneywork’s previous misconduct related to the museum. He was dismissed from his role at Broadway Tower in January of the previous year following a dispute with the managing director, Annette Gorton. During his employment, Thorneywork had taken a certificate of recommendation signed by Winston Churchill, awarded to Albert Lowe of the Royal Observer Corps for bravery during an air crash in 1943. Thorneywork took the exhibit without permission, and it subsequently disappeared, with Thorneywork unable to locate it. Furthermore, he produced a counterfeit receipt to convince Miss Gorton that a Cold War-era bomb power indicator, a device used to measure nuclear explosion force, belonged to him. The museum later repurchased the item from Thorneywork for £1,250 to keep it on display, but the receipt was found to be fraudulent.

Overall, the case highlights the disturbing extent of Thorneywork’s criminal behavior, combining theft, fraud, and the possession of illegal images. The community of Evesham and the wider Worcestershire area remains vigilant, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding children and ensuring that those who commit such offenses are held accountable under the law.