Harry Palmer

A convicted sex offender from Hucknall has been imprisoned for repeatedly violating his court-imposed restrictions designed to prevent further harm. Harry Palmer, aged 22, was sentenced to two years in jail at Nottingham Crown Court on 30 August 2024, following admissions of breaching his sexual harm prevention order and failing to comply with notification requirements.

Palmer had previously been convicted of sexual offences against a teenage girl, leading to the imposition of a sexual harm prevention order. This order, which was amended after an earlier breach, empowered police to monitor all his electronic devices and strictly prohibited any contact with girls under 18. Despite these measures, Palmer engaged in activities that directly contravened the order. In August 2023, he sold a MacBook laptop, a Samsung tablet, and a Huawei mobile phone to CEX stores in Coventry and Bulwell for a total of £142 across three separate transactions. Notably, he had kept the Samsung tablet and Huawei phone hidden from authorities, and the sales were conducted without obtaining the required police permission.

The breaches came to light after the probation service alerted detectives that Palmer had sold the MacBook without approval. A subsequent search of his address on Astral Grove in Hucknall uncovered four unregistered bank cards, further violating the notification requirements of his order. Palmer, who had only recently been released from prison on licence for prior breaches of the order and drug-related offences, admitted to three counts of breaching the sexual harm prevention order and four counts of failing to comply with notification requirements.

Detective Constable Richard Johnson of Nottinghamshire Police emphasised the seriousness of such violations in a statement reported by the Hucknall Dispatch. "Safeguarding vulnerable young people is a key priority for Nottinghamshire Police and we take a very proactive approach to monitoring known offenders," Johnson said. "These court orders are put in place for a very good reason and we expect them to be obeyed. When we find that they are being flouted so brazenly we will take swift action. As Palmer has just found out, the subsequent punishments can be very severe indeed." He added that the case should serve as a reminder to other offenders of the consequences of deception and reassure the public of ongoing efforts to maintain safety.

The court heard that Palmer's actions undermined the protective measures intended to mitigate risks posed by his prior convictions. This sentencing underscores the judicial system's commitment to enforcing sexual harm prevention orders rigorously, ensuring compliance among those with histories of sexual offences.