Richard Mason

At Blackburn Magistrates' Court, Richard Mason, a 37-year-old convicted sex offender residing in the homeless pods in Shadsworth, Blackburn, faced sentencing for breaching his notification requirements. Mason had been instructed by the probation service to relocate from approved premises in Staffordshire to Blackburn over the weekend, but he omitted to inform the police of his new address, leading to the charge of failing to comply with notification obligations.

The court heard that Mason had adhered to all other aspects of his probation conditions. He attended his scheduled probation appointment on the Monday morning following his move, demonstrating compliance in most respects. However, this oversight regarding police notification placed him in breach of the order imposed as part of his sex offender registration.

Defending Mason, Daniel Frazer highlighted his client's circumstances, noting that Mason was on prison licence and under strict probation supervision. 'He was going where he was told to go and doing everything requested of him except tell the police where he was,' Frazer stated, emphasising that the failure was an isolated lapse rather than deliberate non-compliance. Frazer further argued that there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation, given Mason's overall adherence to requirements.

The magistrates imposed a sentence of 16 weeks' imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, allowing Mason to avoid immediate custody provided he meets the conditions. He was also ordered to pay £85 in costs and a £154 victim surcharge. This case, reported by the Lancashire Telegraph on 28 September 2024, underscores the stringent monitoring applied to sex offenders in the UK to ensure public safety and compliance with legal obligations.