CHRISTOPHER HAMMOND SCANDAL IN CLEETHORPES: JUDGE REJECTS GAGGING ORDER IN CHILD PORN CASE

In a significant legal development in Cleethorpes, a judge has decisively refused to impose a gagging order that would have prevented the media and the public from reporting details of a child pornography case involving Christopher Hammond, aged 21. The case has garnered attention due to the legal arguments surrounding the suppression of information and the implications for transparency in criminal proceedings.

Christopher Hammond, a resident of Cleethorpes, pleaded guilty to charges of making indecent images of children on July 31, 2008. The case initially drew attention when a previous order, which sought to restrict reporting of the case, was unlawfully issued at Grimsby Crown Court. This earlier order was subsequently overturned by the court, and a new application for a comprehensive reporting ban was dismissed.

During a hearing in September, Hammond’s defense lawyer, Gordon Stables, requested that a blanket ban be placed on any reporting related to the case, citing concerns about the impact on Hammond’s family. This request was approved by Recorder Eric Elliott QC. However, during a subsequent hearing, Judge Graham Robinson intervened and ruled that there was no legal jurisdiction to uphold such a ban. The judge stated plainly, “At the moment, there is no valid order. I can’t allow that to continue.”

Judge Robinson further emphasized that the defense’s argument, which suggested that reporting the case could cause harm to Hammond’s family, was insufficient to justify a gagging order. He expressed concern that suppressing information in cases like this could undermine the public’s right to be informed about criminal convictions, especially those involving serious offenses such as child exploitation.

He remarked, “If there is suppression, particularly in a case of this nature, it will be said that the court are seeking to keep secret a conviction the community is entitled to know about. There are all sorts of concern in the press about gagging orders and superinjunctions. There are consequences to offending.”

Later, Mr. Stables admitted that the earlier gagging order had been improperly issued and that his recent application for a reporting ban was mistaken and could not proceed. The prosecution, led by Jeremy Evans, revealed that police had discovered a total of 23 images, including videos, on Hammond’s computer during a search conducted as part of an unrelated investigation into other unfounded allegations.

As a result of his actions, Hammond was sentenced to a three-year supervision order, which includes participation in a sex offender treatment program. Additionally, he was ordered to register as a sex offender for a period of five years, marking the legal consequences of his criminal behavior and the ongoing efforts to monitor and rehabilitate offenders in the community of Cleethorpes.