SEAN GIRDLESTONE'S SHAME: CLAYGATE PAEDOPHILE SENTENCED FOR BREACHES AND CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

In August 2014, Sean Girdlestone, a resident of Telegraph Lane in Claygate, faced the consequences of his repeated violations of legal orders and his past criminal conduct related to child exploitation. Girdlestone, who had previously been convicted of possessing and creating indecent images of children, was handed a suspended prison sentence after breaching his Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) and failing to disclose critical financial information to authorities.

Girdlestone, aged 33 at the time, had already served a 36-week prison term in January 2013 following his conviction for possessing and making indecent images of minors. His criminal record also led to his removal from the medical register, reflecting the severity of his offenses. Despite this, he continued to breach court orders designed to monitor and restrict his activities.

The latest breach occurred when Girdlestone failed to surrender his laptop for police inspection during a scheduled check, violating the terms of his SOPO. This incident came before Guildford Crown Court in February, where Judge Peter Moss deferred sentencing, allowing Girdlestone a period to demonstrate compliance. However, on August 22, he was summoned back to court to face the consequences of his continued non-compliance.

During the proceedings, Girdlestone also admitted to six new counts of failing to fulfill notification requirements, specifically related to his failure to register and disclose information about various bank accounts. These accounts included those associated with clubs he operated in an annexe of Cranleigh CofE Primary School through his company, Cranfolders Childcare, as well as accounts linked to his other business ventures, Great Personal Health and Advance Payment Solutions, a prepaid credit service.

Prosecutor Graham Smith outlined the timeline: Girdlestone had informed a probation officer of his intention to travel on March 12, and an appointment was scheduled for June 16, later postponed to July 21. During this period, authorities applied for a production order to access his bank details. When Girdlestone was finally arrested on July 21, he acknowledged ownership of the accounts but claimed some were business-related and that he had asked banks to close certain accounts. He also believed that the Advance Payment Solutions account was not a bank account but a prepaid card, and therefore, he thought he was not obliged to disclose it.

Defense lawyer Andrew Fitch-Holland argued that Girdlestone's failure to disclose was not deliberate. He emphasized that Girdlestone did not willfully hide his bank details and believed the prepaid card was akin to cash or a PayPal account, which did not require reporting. The lawyer also noted that the laptop inspection revealed no further offending material.

Judge Moss acknowledged Girdlestone's partial compliance but criticized his lack of full cooperation. He stated, “If it was just the initial breach, a fine might suffice. However, your partial compliance and failure to fully disclose bank accounts indicate a pattern of non-cooperation.” The judge emphasized that the bank accounts represented a significant failure to disclose, but he did not believe Girdlestone's actions caused any harm or indicated malicious intent.

Ultimately, Girdlestone was sentenced to 10 weeks in custody, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to pay £150 in prosecution costs. The court made it clear that while no harm was caused, the breaches demonstrated a disregard for court orders and the importance of transparency in monitoring offenders.

Girdlestone's criminal history also includes a previous conviction from December 2012, when he was found guilty of possessing 16 counts of indecent images of children after police seized a laptop from his home in September 2010. He was sentenced to nine months in prison in January 2013, a sentence that reflected the seriousness of his offenses and the ongoing threat he posed to the community of Claygate.