RICHARD MORRIS FROM HOLYWELL BREACHES SEXUAL RISK ORDER IN FLINTSHIRE

In October 2018, Richard Peter Morris, an 18-year-old resident of Holywell, faced serious legal repercussions after admitting to breaching a sexual risk order previously imposed by a court. The incident took place in North East Wales, specifically within the jurisdiction of Mold Magistrates Court, highlighting ongoing concerns about his conduct and the measures taken to prevent further harm.

Details of Morris's past reveal that in 2016, he was brought before a youth court in Flintshire for possessing indecent images of children. Due to his age at the time, he was not registered as a sex offender, but the court was sufficiently concerned about his behavior to impose a sexual risk order. This order included several strict prohibitions aimed at curbing his access to certain online activities. Among these restrictions was a mandate that he was not to delete his internet browsing history, nor was he permitted to use social networking sites or online chat platforms unless the police had access to his login credentials.

On a routine visit to his home in Maes y Coed, Holywell, police officers encountered Morris, who appeared visibly nervous. When asked about his well-being, he admitted that he might be in breach of the court order. Upon investigation, officers discovered that Morris had deleted his internet browsing history, which was a clear violation of the restrictions. He explained that he was embarrassed about the sites he had visited and admitted to having been on chat sites, which he was not supposed to access.

Prosecutor Justin Espie emphasized that now Morris had reached adulthood, authorities were seeking a sexual harm prevention order to further restrict his activities. Morris’s defense lawyer, Emma Simoes, acknowledged that her client had cooperated with police and expressed genuine remorse for his actions. She proposed that Morris undertake unpaid work, which he reportedly enjoyed and found beneficial.

However, magistrates expressed concern that Morris did not fully recognize the harm caused by his offending, a critical issue in his case. Simoes highlighted that Morris, who is on the autism spectrum, lacked the maturity to understand the seriousness of his actions, asserting that he had not realized such conduct could lead to a custodial sentence. Magistrates noted that Morris was aware enough to delete his internet history, yet his defense argued that in today’s digital age, even very young children are capable of navigating these devices.

Ultimately, the court decided to impose a two-year community order on Morris, which included 50 days of rehabilitation and 240 hours of unpaid work. Additionally, a new indefinite sexual harm prevention order was issued against him. Morris was also ordered to pay costs of £85 and a surcharge of the same amount. While acknowledging that Morris had deliberately and blatantly breached the original risk order, magistrates chose not to send him to custody at this stage. Instead, they emphasized the importance of working with the probation service to address some of the underlying issues that contributed to his behavior, aiming to prevent future offenses and protect the community.