RICHARD COPELAND

STANLEY MAN'S 'PATHETIC' GAME OF THRONES EXCUSE FOR CHILD ABUSE IMAGES

A man's excuse that he accidentally downloaded child abuse images when looking for Game of Thrones has been branded "pathetic".

Richard Copeland’s home was raided after he was identified by police as accessing child abuse online.

The 34-year-old made the "pathetic" excuse as he handed over his password to police to allow them to search his laptop in January 2023.

James Gallagher, prosecuting, told Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (April 30): “He told officers that the laptop they seized was his and he provided a password to allow access to it.

When advised the laptop would be searched, he told them - ‘I tried to download Game of Thrones and may have downloaded content by mistake.” Mr Gallagher said that officers recovered hundreds of emails that linked the defendant directly to the laptop.

Copeland, of Pine View in Stanley, admitted possession of two Category A images, two Category B images and a prohibited images.

Amrit Jandoo, mitigating, said his client pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and was of previous good character.

He added: “As for his comment about downloading Game of Thrones, it is clearly pathetic.” Mrs Julie Pikesley, the chairwoman of the magistrates’ bench, told Copeland his offending had crossed the custody threshold, but it would be suspended as he was of previous good character.

She said: “We know you have no previous convictions on your record and you accepted what you had done – your initial excuse about Game of Thrones was clearly not credible.” Copeland was sentenced to 14 weeks in custody, suspended for 15 months, and ordered to attend 20 rehabilitation activity days.

He was also issued with a seven-year sexual harm prevention order and told to sign on the sex offenders’ register for the same period, and ordered to pay £239 towards court costs.