Waterlooville paedophile continues to dodge jail after latest "forgetful" breaches

Waterlooville sex offender Simon Howell, 56, dodged jail again after pleading guilty to two counts of breaching his notification requirements having failed to disclose his address and a bank card to police.

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Portsmouth Crown Court heard how Howell, of Thrush Walk, was caught out when police attended his address on June 17. But Daniel Reilly, defending, said Howell had lived at the same address for 23 years and had just forgotten to update his details. “He forgot to confirm the address, so was late on registration by six days,” he said.

Howell admitted two breaches of sex offender requirements. Judge Robert Hill said: “I can see (Howell has) significant difficulties and it may need to be explained to him (what to do) forcefully.”

The judge told Howell: “You failed to confirm your address and also failed to confirm your bank card had been reissued. It matters because if (the police) want to trace you through a bank card they would not be able to if it is deleted or not up to date.”

Howell was handed an 18-month community order with 35 rehabilitation days. The defendant had also breached a suspended sentence but it was not activated, instead he would have to pay a £100 fine.

Judge Hill added: “You will not get any more chances for breaching your order. You must make it your business to understand the order or ask probation.”

In June 2022 at a previous hearing, “vulnerable” Howell also admitted being in breach of a sexual harm prevention order and his notification requirements when he flouted an order just eight days after being handed a sentence in October 2020 for possessing 800 child abuse images.

Mr Reilly sprung to Howell’s defence again on that occasion despite judge Richard Shepherd saying the barrister would have to “work hard” to persuade him not to send the defendant to prison. “Breaching an order ordinarily results in a custodial sentence,” the judge said.

Mr Reilly went on to explain how Howell was someone with a “functioning deficit” who had been sectioned in a psychiatric hospital. “It was wrongly thought he had learning difficulties as the presentation is similar but he is someone who struggles and becomes confused,” he said.

Judge Shepherd then spared Howell jail and handed him an 11-month sentence suspended for 18 months on that occasion. “This is really unusual for a breach,” judge Shepherd said at the time.