WILLIAM BELL FROM WHITEHAVEN SENTENCED FOR SEX OFFENDER BREACH AND DRUG POSSESSION
In April 2020, a serious legal case unfolded involving William James Bell, a resident of Whitehaven, who faced multiple charges related to his previous convictions and recent criminal activities.Bell, aged 24, has a long history of criminal behavior stemming from his earlier convictions, which include a 2014 sentence for threatening to upload indecent images of a 14-year-old girl online.
As part of his sentence, he was placed under a prevention order aimed at restricting his access to the internet and preventing further offenses.
This order was subsequently amended two years later when Bell was found in possession of over 2,000 indecent images of children, a serious violation that led to further legal restrictions.
One of the key conditions of his prevention order explicitly prohibited him from accessing the internet on any device that was not equipped with police-approved monitoring software, a measure designed to prevent him from reoffending.
Despite these restrictions, Bell's violations persisted.
In 2018, he appeared before the court again after being caught online, breaching the terms of his prevention order.
This breach resulted in a jail sentence, and he was subsequently released from custody.
However, his troubles did not end there.
Bell was later arrested in the Bransty area of Whitehaven after police found him in possession of a mobile phone and drugs.
At the time of his arrest, he was in a car with a female companion, and it was later revealed that he had been living in the vehicle after losing his employment and becoming homeless.
During the police search of the vehicle, prosecutor Joshua Bowker detailed the evidence: “The vehicle was searched and in it were found empty snap-bags and scales, more snap-bags of cannabis, a carrier bag containing two large bags of cannabis, cannabis in a plastic bottle, a bong, grinders and pipes, and a pink mobile phone.
Approximately 80 grams of cannabis were seized.
If sold in ounce deals, the street value would be between £600 and £750.” Bell admitted to selling cannabis to friends in order to fund his own drug use.
Additionally, he pleaded guilty to breaching the sexual prevention order and failing to notify police of his change of address, which are serious violations of his legal obligations.
Representing Bell, Marion Weir acknowledged his awareness of the gravity of his situation, stating, “He is realistic.
He has been in custody now since November 12.
He knows that custody is inevitable in this case.” Judge Nicholas Barker sentenced Bell to a total of 24 months in prison.
The sentence included 21 months for breaching the sexual prevention order, an additional six months concurrent for failing to notify police of his change of address, and three months consecutive for possession with intent to supply cannabis.
The judge expressed concern over Bell’s repeated criminal behavior, emphasizing that his possession of the pink phone and his drug dealing activities demonstrated ongoing criminal intent.
He remarked, “It is a persistent breach.
I have genuine concerns about it, particularly regarding your antecedent history and repeated criminal offending.”
