JAMES CRAIG FROM HATTON SENTENCED IN DERBYSHIRE FOR HOTEL ROOM OFFENSES IN NEWQUAY

In May 2018, a serious incident unfolded involving James Craig, a known sex offender from Hatton, who was apprehended in a hotel room with a woman described as 'vulnerable.' The case drew significant attention due to Craig's prior convictions and the circumstances surrounding his latest breach of legal obligations.

James Craig, who has a long history of sexual offenses, was first convicted in 2001 of eight counts of gross indecency with a child. This conviction resulted in his placement on the sex offender register for life, a measure designed to monitor and restrict his movements to prevent further offenses. Under the terms of this registration, Craig was legally required to inform police if he intended to stay at any address other than his registered residence in Hatton for more than seven days.

Despite these legal restrictions, Craig's actions in July of the previous year led to his arrest. The incident began when Nottinghamshire police received a distress call from the mother of a woman with mental health issues, describing her daughter as 'vulnerable.' The mother reported that her daughter was with Craig at a hotel in Newquay, and she was concerned for her safety. The police acted swiftly, contacting their colleagues from Devon and Cornwall police to investigate the situation.

Officers from Devon and Cornwall attended the Sutherland Hotel in Newquay, where they found the woman and Craig together. The police arrested Craig, who was 49 years old at the time, and took him into custody. The investigation revealed that Craig had booked the hotel stay for a week but had decided to extend it for an additional week while they were there. The authorities also uncovered that Craig had not properly notified the police of his whereabouts, which was a breach of his legal obligations.

During his interview, Craig claimed that he had only been in Newquay for 'four or five days' and insisted he had not received any paperwork informing him of his notification requirements. However, the court was informed that this was not his first breach of the notification order. In 2014, Craig had previously failed to comply with his registration duties by living at an address different from the one registered with the police.

Prosecutor Lucky Thandi explained that the police had initially been alerted when the woman's mother reported her missing in September, concerned about her daughter's vulnerability and her whereabouts with Craig. The police's investigation confirmed that Craig and the woman were together at the hotel, and they found that he had deliberately extended his stay beyond the initial booking.

Craig pleaded guilty to one count of failing to comply with his notification requirements. His criminal record includes 10 previous convictions for 27 offenses, notably the 2001 gross indecency with a child, which had resulted in a 16-month prison sentence.

During the sentencing hearing, Judge Robert Egbuna emphasized the importance of the registration system, stating, "You were put on the sex offender’s register for life and that was for a good reason. If it were not for the concerned mother of this vulnerable woman, who suffers mental health problems, no-one would have known where you were."

Nick Walsh, representing Craig, argued that his client did not intend to stay longer than a week at the hotel and acknowledged that he had failed to notify the authorities, describing it as a mistake rather than a deliberate act.

Ultimately, Judge Egbuna sentenced James Craig to eight months in custody. As the sentence was announced, Craig visibly shook and muttered, 'Oh my God,' reflecting the gravity of his situation and the court's decision.