Sex offender blames police as he appears in court for failing to fulfil sentence requirement
A sex offender who failed to turn up at a police station as part of his notification requirements has been sentenced to a day in custody for his notification breach.
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But the sentence for the 'minor breach' won't have too much impact on Jake Alexander Rich's life as he is already serving a four-year prison sentence and turned up at Telford Magistrates Court via a video link from Hewell prison to receive his latest punishment.
The 27 year-old pleaded guilty to failing to complete his annual periodic notification at a designated police station on or before November 29, 2023. It's an offence under the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
Telford Magistrates Court was not told what Rich is inside for but prosecutor Sara Beddow said on Wednesday that a detective constable texted him on December 1 to tell him that he didn't turn up at Shrewsbury police station from Market Drayton.
"He attended that day to complete it," she said.
Brendan Reedy, mitigating, said Rich had received a four-year prison sentence in March this year which is why he was on a video link.
"It is a minor breach," said Mr Reedy. "He normally gets a reminder email from the police but didn't receive one.
"He was texted on December 1 and replied "oh s***, I will get on a bus.
"It is a genuine mistake. If the text had been sent on November 29, he would have gone then. It is the most minor of breaches."
Presiding justice Carol Scott said the bench was "happy that it is a minor breach" and handed down a sentence of one day's detention and deemed it to be "served" as Rich is behind bars.
