Failing to comply with a sex offender notification requirement.

Sex Offender Jailed for Breaching Notification Requirement

Tony Simmonds, 50, was sentenced to 16 months in prison today at Caernarfon Crown Court for breaching a notification requirement of a suspended sentence. Simmonds had been convicted of indecent images offences at Chester Crown Court in September 2022 and given a 14-month jail term, suspended for two years. As part of his sentence, he was required to inform police if he stayed at a new address for longer than seven days.

However, Simmonds stayed at his former partner's house for 10 days without notifying the authorities. Prosecutor Richard Edwards told the court that Simmonds became "reluctant to leave" the address, and his former partner ultimately reported the violation to the police.

Simmonds claimed he was staying with his former partner to give his brother a break, as he normally resided with his brother in Marine Road, Pensarn near Abergele.

Defense attorney Sarah Yates acknowledged that the probation service was concerned about Simmonds' "superficial and limited" engagement with rehabilitation programs. She attributed this to his diagnosis of schizophrenia, a personality disorder, and psychosis. Yates also noted that Simmonds has been inconsistent with his medication regimen but has shown improvement in recent times. She highlighted Simmonds' fear of custody and his vulnerability.

Despite these mitigating factors, Judge Nicola Saffman concluded that Simmonds had not consistently taken his medication nor complied with the services offered to him. She sentenced Simmonds to six months for failing to comply with the notification requirement and ten months of his suspended jail term, to run consecutively.

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