ASHLEY HAMMOND'S SHOCKING CRIMES IN GLOUCESTER AND WISBECH: SEX OFFENDER'S REPEATED FAILURES LEAD TO JAIL TIME

In August 2020, a registered sex offender named Ashley Hammond faced justice after authorities uncovered his failure to update his address and comply with legal restrictions. Hammond, aged 39 and residing on Falklands Drive in Wisbech, had previously been convicted in 2017 of meeting a girl under the age of 16 following a period of sexual grooming. His past conviction resulted in his placement on the Sex Offenders’ Register, along with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) that explicitly prohibited him from having any unsupervised contact with children under 16 and from possessing any device capable of accessing the internet.

Despite these strict conditions, Hammond failed to inform police of his new address after moving into a relationship in Gloucester. The Public Protection Unit, responsible for monitoring registered sex offenders within the community, discovered that Hammond had not notified authorities of his change of residence. Further investigation revealed that he had also used an alias on a gaming console, a detail he was legally required to declare to police. These breaches led to his arrest on two counts of failing to comply with the notification requirements of the Sex Offenders’ Register.

During police interviews, Hammond admitted to both offences, claiming he had simply “forgot” to notify authorities of his new address. He confirmed that he had been staying at his girlfriend’s house in Gloucester from late March through all of April. His vehicle was also identified on Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) systems traveling to Gloucestershire, further corroborating his presence there. Hammond explained that he chose not to notify police about his new address because he believed they would inform his girlfriend of his previous convictions and his status on the register. Regarding the alias used on the gaming console, Hammond described it as “just a mistake” and insisted he had no intention of hiding it from law enforcement.

Hammond appeared before Cambridge Crown Court on Tuesday, August 11, where he pleaded guilty to both charges. The same day, he was sentenced to 18 months in prison, a punishment that also accounted for a breach of a previously suspended sentence related to similar offences. Judge David Farrell QC addressed Hammond directly during sentencing, emphasizing that he had been given “yet another chance” to abide by the law but had repeatedly ignored these opportunities. The judge expressed disappointment that Hammond had failed to comply with notification requirements designed to protect women from his past behaviour. He stated that Hammond could have maintained relationships but only if he adhered to the legal obligations imposed upon him.

Judge Farrell warned Hammond that he could not afford to make the same mistakes again, asserting that he had been “given enough chances” and that only an immediate prison sentence was appropriate. The judge’s stern words underscored the seriousness of Hammond’s repeated breaches and the importance of strict compliance with the law to safeguard the community.

Hammond’s criminal history also includes a January 2019 incident in Wisbech, where he was found to have violated a court order by not registering his mobile phone with police. This breach was part of a series of violations stemming from a previous conviction in March 2017, when Hammond was caught in a sting operation for sending sexual messages and images over Facebook to someone he believed was a 13-year-old girl, but who was actually an adult male. Following this, Hammond drove to meet the supposed minor for sex, an act that led to his being handed a three-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

In October of the previous year, police officers visiting Hammond’s residence in Falklands Drive, Wisbech, observed an iPhone charger on his bedside table. Hammond admitted to owning an unregistered iPhone since late 2017, which was a clear breach of his SHPO. Additionally, he failed to notify police that he had been staying at his girlfriend’s house for three months in 2018, further violating the court’s orders. Hammond pleaded guilty to these breaches and, on January 22, at Cambridge Crown Court, was sentenced to 16 months in prison, suspended for two years. As part of his new restrictions, Hammond was also ordered not to delete his internet history, and he was placed under an indefinite restraining order preventing him from contacting his ex-girlfriend and her children or entering their residence.

These incidents highlight a pattern of repeated violations by Hammond, despite the legal measures put in place to monitor and restrict his activities. His case underscores the ongoing challenges faced by authorities in managing high-risk offenders and the importance of strict enforcement of court orders to protect vulnerable members of the community.