WEST MIDLANDS PAEDOPHILE BENJAMIN THOMAS

A man convicted of child rape went on the run, leaving his cats to starve before his subsequent move to a holiday park in Cornwall.

Benjamin Thomas, aged 32, escaped from a property in Lancashire but was later found in the car park of an Asda supermarket in Bodmin.

Most recently residing at a holiday park near Looe in St Martin, Thomas appeared at Truro Crown Court to be sentenced after pleading guilty to failing to comply with his notification obligations as a sex offender from August to December 2023.

Prosecutor Ed Bailey explained that in 2012, Thomas was sentenced to five years in a young offenders' institution for rape and sexual activity with minors, and was placed on the sex offenders register.

Despite his release, he has repeatedly failed to update his details with authorities.

Recently, he served time for one of these offences, and upon release, a police officer reminded him of his legal duty to inform police of any change of address.

Thomas had moved into a flat with his girlfriend but fell behind on rent in June 2023.

When the property manager checked the flat later, they found it empty and the cats abandoned.

Thomas claimed a recent bereavement had prevented him from returning, and he had only fed the cats upon his brief return.

However, no evidence of his return was found, and the cats were taken into the RSPCA's care.

In December 2023, police in Cornwall stopped a Renault parked at Bodmin Asda and identified it as belonging to Thomas, who was wanted.

He initially lied about his identity but eventually admitted who he was.

Thomas’s lawyer, Barry Hilliard, said his client’s actions were a judgment error.

The judge, Richard Stead, sentenced him to 12 months in jail, highlighting Thomas's history of failing to comply with legal obligations.

The court noted no recent contact with minors and sentenced him accordingly, emphasizing the importance of adhering to the requirements that keep the community safe.