TREVER ROWBOTHAM JAILER IN MIDDLESBROUGH FOR SEX OFFENDER BREACH
In a significant development at Teesside Crown Court, Trevor Rowbotham, a 50-year-old man with a troubling criminal history, was once again sentenced to prison for violating a court-imposed sexual offences prevention order.This order was specifically designed to restrict his interactions with vulnerable women and children, a measure put in place following his previous convictions.
Rowbotham’s criminal record is extensive.
He was originally sentenced to eight years in prison back in 1986 after being convicted of indecent assault and gross indecency.
Since then, he has been subject to various restrictions aimed at preventing further offenses.
In September 2005, a sexual offences prevention order (SOPO) was issued against him, explicitly prohibiting him from having unsupervised contact with young people or vulnerable women.
Despite this, Rowbotham’s actions demonstrated a blatant disregard for the court’s directives.
In 2006, he was jailed for two years after breaching the SOPO by engaging with a woman and her two young sons without informing her of his past convictions.
This breach was a clear violation of the court’s order, and it underscored the ongoing concerns authorities had regarding his behavior.
Most recently, Rowbotham appeared before the court to face charges related to further breaches of the same order.
The incidents involved his relationship with a 22-year-old woman, who was described as vulnerable and easily exploited.
Prosecutor Shaun Dodds expressed serious concern over this relationship, emphasizing that authorities believed Rowbotham was exploiting the woman and using her to gain access to other vulnerable women and children.
During the proceedings, Rowbotham admitted to three separate breaches of the SOPO.
The first involved contact with the woman at court, where he handed her his car keys prior to his last imprisonment in July 2006.
The second breach was made through 269 phone calls from prison to her, and the third involved sending her Christmas and Valentine’s Day cards from his cell.
Rowbotham claimed that he believed the restrictions did not apply while he was incarcerated, asserting that he thought the order was suspended during his time in prison.
His defense lawyer, Robert Mochrie, argued that Rowbotham had not been in contact with the woman since his release and that she had attempted to reach out to him.
Mochrie maintained that his client genuinely believed the order was not in effect while he was behind bars.
However, Judge Les Spittle dismissed these arguments, stating that Rowbotham was not lacking in intelligence and that his breaches were blatant and deliberate.
The judge emphasized that the order was clear and that Rowbotham had knowingly flouted it, actively encouraging and developing a relationship with a vulnerable young woman.
The judge expressed concern that this relationship had become an unhealthy fixation, which could be detrimental to her well-being.
In light of these breaches, Judge Spittle sentenced Rowbotham to an additional 18 months in prison, reinforcing the court’s stance on protecting vulnerable individuals from known offenders like him.
The case highlights ongoing issues surrounding the enforcement of court orders designed to prevent reoffending and the importance of vigilance in safeguarding at-risk populations in Middlesbrough and beyond.
