A convicted sex offender has been slated by a sheriff over the second breach of his registration requirements in which he jetted off to Ireland to see a new partner.
Sean Hanlon’s name was placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for a decade in 2013, but the Arbroath 44-year-old has been warned he could find himself back behind bars if there is any further repeat of what was branded a “flagrant disregard” for the requirements of his registration.
Depute fiscal Stewart Duncan told Forfar Sheriff Court Police Scotland were contacted by Irish Garda officers on October 6 last year to say that the accused was in Ireland, despite there being no registration record of foreign travel.
Hanlon, of Newton Avenue in Arbroath, was contacted by mobile phone and confirmed he was staying at his new partner’s address, having gone to Dublin on October 3.
“He was thereafter spoken to again on October 11 and said he planned to return home within several days, but did not have a flight booked,” the fiscal added.
Hanlon previously admitted breaching the terms of his registration and the court heard he had spent the equivalent of two months in custody having been remanded at an earlier calling of the case.
Defence solicitor Brian Bell said: “He tendered a plea of guilty at the earliest opportunity, but the sheriff at that time was not impressed and remanded him for the term of the preparation of a criminal justice report.
“Since the deferral of sentence there have been no further difficulties in terms of compliance with his registration.”
Sheriff Derek Reekie told Hanlon, whose name will stay on the register until January 2024,: “There are a number of things here; firstly this is the second time he has breached his registration, and secondly, he goes to Ireland by choice and when the police contact him he doesn’t even come back.
“This is a serious matter and it seems to me that it is a flagrant disregard for the rules and requirements of the registration.”
He continued: “I see you’re no stranger to the custodial setting, so whether that time in remand has made any difference to your attitude I don’t know.
“This needs to be marked in some way, but I take into account the fact that you have spent the equivalent of two months in custody.”
Hanlon was fined £250.
