DAVID HANNA FROM PLYMOUTH JAILED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AND HOAX CALLS

In December 2009, David Hanna, a resident of Plymouth, was sentenced to prison after a series of disturbing offenses involving hoax emergency calls and possession of explicit images. The case unfolded when police responded to a false 999 call reporting a fight at a pub located in Francis Street, Stonehouse. The call was made on March 6, and officers arrived at the scene within just two minutes. Upon investigation, they found no evidence of any altercation or disturbance. When questioned about the call, Hanna, who was sitting on a bar stool at the pub, abruptly stood up and left the premises. When asked if he had a phone, he denied possession, but moments later, his phone rang—confirming it was the device used to make the hoax call.

As officers examined the phone, they observed the presence of pornographic images, which prompted a search of Hanna’s residence in Stoke. During the search, authorities recovered a computer tower and a VHS tape. The phone contained multiple indecent images, including two at Level 1, one at Level 3, and two video clips at Level 4, each lasting between nine and twelve seconds. The computer held a total of 16 images, categorized from Level 1 to Level 5, with Level 1 being the least serious and Level 5 the most severe. The VHS tape was found to contain a full-length film of extreme adult pornography.

Prosecutor Nick Lewin explained that Hanna’s actions breached an Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) that had been imposed following his previous hoax calls to emergency services. Hanna’s history of false alarms included a 2003 incident where he claimed there was a bomb at the Astor Hotel on the Hoe, leading to an evacuation and a subsequent 12-month jail sentence. In 2007, he caused a major rescue operation involving helicopters, divers, and coastguards after falsely reporting seeing three people in distress off the Hoe; he was jailed for four months for that incident.

Hanna admitted that the images found on his devices had been sent to him by an individual he met through an internet chat room, where he sometimes posed as a woman or a gay man. His current address was not disclosed during the court proceedings. His defense lawyer, Ali Rafati, provided a personal background, revealing that Hanna had fallen from a window at age 12, underwent a nine-hour operation, and had a metal plate inserted into his head. Rafati described Hanna as having severe learning difficulties and acting impulsively, emphasizing that Hanna had to relocate due to the nature of his offenses. He expressed concern over the stigma Hanna faced and highlighted the need for extensive help and support.

Judge Paul Darlow addressed the court, condemning the possession of such images as perpetuating a “disgusting and evil trade.” Hanna, aged 36, pleaded guilty to six counts of possessing child sexual abuse images, two counts of possessing extreme pornographic images, and one count of breaching his ASBO. The judge sentenced him to a total of 46 weeks in prison, imposed a five-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order, and ordered him to register as a sex offender for seven years, underscoring the seriousness of his crimes and the ongoing threat posed by such offenses.