David Dingwall Coughtrie

David Dingwall Coughtrie, a 54-year-old resident of Etruria in Stoke-on-Trent, has a lengthy history of sexual offences dating back to 2005. Described by authorities as having a 'bad record' with dozens of offences, Coughtrie was subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) since 2016, aimed at restricting his access to devices and interactions that could facilitate further harm.

In the most recent incident, Staffordshire Police's Sexual Offender Management Unit (SOMU) visited Coughtrie's home on 12 December 2022. During this visit, officers discovered that he had deleted WhatsApp messages and an image of a child, actions that breached his SHPO. Further investigation revealed he had not declared access to additional devices, including a games console and a tablet, which were uncovered after his arrest. Coughtrie admitted to three counts of breaching the SHPO and failing to comply with notification requirements under the sex offenders' register.

This breach follows a pattern of non-compliance. In 2021, Coughtrie was given what the court described as a 'final chance' after using a fake name to contact a schoolboy via PlayStation while playing online. Previous convictions include using search terms such as 'pre-teen models' and 'virgin solo models' on an unauthorised phone in 2019, hiding mobile phones under his bed in 2016, and possessing indecent images of children in 2005. Additionally, in 2020, he used a fake name and provided his phone number to a teenage boy met while playing Grand Theft Auto.

• 2005: Possession of indecent images of children.
• 2016: Hiding mobile phones beneath his bed, leading to indefinite SHPO.
• 2019: Searching prohibited terms on an illegal phone.
• 2020: Contacting teenage boy with fake identity during online gaming.
• 2021: Breached order by contacting schoolboy on PlayStation.
• 2022: Deleted evidence and concealed devices during police visit.

At Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court, Coughtrie pleaded guilty to the charges. He was sentenced to two years in prison, reinforcing the strict oversight of registered sex offenders. Detective Sergeant Laura Ames of Staffordshire Police's SOMU stated: 'We take the management of sex offenders extremely seriously and will pursue and prosecute those who choose not to comply. Coughtrie rightly has very strict requirements that he is expected to abide by, and he has shown a complete disregard and lack of respect for them on a number of occasions. This sentencing should serve as a deterrent for others.' The case was reported by Stoke-on-Trent Live on 9 February 2023, highlighting Coughtrie's repeated failure to learn from prior convictions.