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Weekly overturns child sex case gag

A weekly paper in Kent has succeeded in overturning a judge’s order banning publication of a sex offender’s address.

The restriction had been imposed by Judge Jeremy Carey at Maidstone Crown Court in the case of Wayne Green at the request of his lawyer without a reason being stated, other than that the downloading of child sex abuse images was “topical”.

When the matter returned to court before Judge Philip Statman, he continued the order, but allowed representations to be made on behalf of the Medway Messenger, part of the Kent Messenger Group

Court reporter Keith Hunt wrote to the judge requesting that the order be lifted, arguing that the court was not entitled to make a Section 11 Order preventing the publication of a defendant’s address where the administration of justice did not require such confidentiality.

Asked for his view on the submission, prosecutor Alan Kent said: “I think he is right.” Judge Statman said he agreed with the Divisional Court ruling and lifted the order.

Green, 51, of Hempstead, Gillingham, Kent, admitted 19 charges of making indecent images of children and was jailed for 12 months. The case involved the downloading of over 5,000 images.

Editor Bob Bounds said: “This isn’t the first time recently that a court has attempted to block the publication of a defendant’s address. Three months ago a driver who’d killed two young people nearly had his address kept secret but we got that overturned too.

“I’m pleased the court have seen sense in both cases but it is worrying that these applications are even being given court time.”