Richard Hawkins

Richard Hawkins, a 52-year-old man from Caersws in Powys, appeared at Mold Crown Court where he pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images of children. The offences spanned a 13-year period, involving three images categorised as A, B, and C, which were recovered from his electronic devices.

In April 2023, police executed a warrant at Hawkins' home, seizing a hard drive, laptop, and computer. Specialist software was required to access the deleted images stored in inaccessible areas of the devices. The court heard that the number of images was limited, and Hawkins had not reoffended in the nearly three years since his arrest.

Defence barrister Simon Rogers argued that the offences were entirely out of character for Hawkins, who had entered an early guilty plea as the best evidence of his remorse. Rogers highlighted Hawkins' struggles with depression, alcohol issues, and a pending medical assessment for a brain cyst. He also noted that Hawkins had lost his employment due to the investigation, and supportive letters from his wife and daughter provided insight into his otherwise good character.

Judge Simon Mills addressed Hawkins, stating that he had thrown away his good character through choices made during a low period in his life, exacerbated by an unhealthy relationship with alcohol. The judge emphasised, 'These are images produced by evil people. Every single one depicts a child being sexually abused or exploited.' While acknowledging that many similar cases involve far greater numbers of images, Judge Mills noted that even a single Category A image carries a guideline starting point of 12 months' custody.

Considering Hawkins' significant mitigation, including family support—which the judge described as something he was 'really lucky' to have in such cases—and a pre-sentence report indicating honesty and willingness for rehabilitation, the judge suspended the sentence. He warned, 'This is your last chance. If you do this again, you will be going to prison.' Hawkins was placed on the sex offenders register and subjected to a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.

The case was reported by the County Times, with chief reporter Anwen Parry covering the proceedings at Mold Crown Court on 12th February.