BURNLEY SEX OFFENDER SOLD MOBILE PHONE TO BUY FOOD
A convicted sex offender failed to produce his mobile phone when police carried out a compliance visit.Blackburn Magistrates' Court heard Carl Skully had pawned the device to buy food, and not having the phone available for inspection put him in breach of a sexual harm prevention order.
He later told police that "when you haven't eaten for a few days you don't think straight".
Scully, 28, of Coal Clough Lane, Burnley, pleaded guilty to breaching a sexual harm prevention order.
He was committed in custody to Burnley Crown Court to be sentenced, after the court was told he was due to be sentenced at that court on January 23 for another breach of the same order.
Kate Moore, prosecuting, said the order prohibited using any device capable of accessing the internet unless he made it immediately available to the police for inspection.
When officers carried out a compliance visit and asked to see his phone, he said he had sold it.
"In essence, he was using a device which couldn't be monitored because he had got rid of it," said Miss Moore.
Philippa Curtis, mitigating, said she accepted the matter should be sent to the Crown Court so all matters could be dealt with at the same time.
She said it was accepted he had not been able to make the device available for inspection.
"He sold the phone to pay for food, and that was put forward when he was interviewed," said Miss Curtis.
"He would have bought the phone back when his benefits came through.
"He accepts he should have told the police about the situation, but he says when you haven't eaten for a few days, you are not thinking straight."
