PETER BECKETT FROM STALINE NEAR POULTON LE FYLDE CAUGHT WITH CHILD ABUSE IMAGES BUT ESCAPES JAIL

In December 2016, a distressing case unfolded involving Peter Beckett, a retired executive with a notable career at British Aerospace, who was found to possess illicit images involving minors. The incident took place at his residence in Staline, a village near Poulton le Fylde in Lancashire, where police executed a search warrant on his property.

During the raid, officers confiscated Beckett’s personal computer, which contained four indecent images depicting young girls aged between six and fifteen in explicit poses. The discovery prompted immediate legal action, and Beckett, aged 69 at the time, was brought before Blackpool Magistrates Court to face charges related to the possession of child abuse images.

Throughout the court proceedings, Beckett’s wife, visibly distressed, watched from the public gallery as her husband sat in the dock. Prosecutor Pam Smith detailed the evidence, noting that Beckett had initially told police during his first interview that he had been browsing the internet for such material for approximately ten years, during which he had taken steps to delete files to conceal his activities.

Further questioning revealed that Beckett attributed his behavior to a side effect of medication prescribed for his Parkinson’s disease. Specifically, he mentioned that the drug ropinirole, which he had been taking, was linked to uncontrollable sexual urges and compulsive behaviors, a side effect acknowledged by medical experts.

Beckett’s defense lawyer, Trevor Colebourne, argued that the medication had significantly impacted his client’s moral judgment, describing it as a contributing factor rather than a direct cause of his criminal actions. He emphasized that medical professionals had warned about the hypersexual side effects associated with such drugs and that Beckett’s failure to disclose his struggles was a consequence of his reluctance to stop medication that was alleviating his Parkinson’s symptoms.

In court, Colebourne stated, “He should have told someone what was happening to him, but he did not want to come off the drug because it was helping him manage his debilitating condition.” He further explained that while the side effects did not serve as a legal defense, they provided some mitigation, describing Beckett’s inability to control his impulses as a failure of his coping mechanisms.

Judge Jeff Brailsford acknowledged the complexities of the case, noting that the side effects of the medication had contributed to Beckett’s behavior but did not amount to automatism. The judge sentenced Beckett to 20 weeks in prison, suspended for two years, and imposed a three-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order. Additionally, Beckett was ordered to forfeit his computer equipment and pay costs amounting to £585.

This case highlights the serious consequences of possessing child abuse images and raises awareness about the potential side effects of certain medications prescribed for neurological conditions like Parkinson’s disease.