'He has got a mental age of 10 - prison is not where he should be'

The Recorder of York, Judge Sean Morris, delayed sentencing Joseph Rhys Aldred, 22, for weeks in the hope that a place could be found where he could live with the appropriate help and supervision.

“He has got a mental age of 10,” he said.

“Prison is not where he should be.”

But when the case returned to court, defence solicitor advocate Graham Parkin said no place had been found, despite both him and the probation service trying to find one.

By then, Aldred had been remanded in prison custody for more than six months.

“It would appear that those responsible for helping people with mental issues, in this case are not engaging with one another and in effect, they have left you to fend for yourself,” the judge told Aldred.

“There is only so much the court can do. This is not a situation that should ever occur.”

He released Aldred from prison by passing a three-year community order with a 90-day sex offender treatment programme and 30 days’ rehabilitation activities.

“They (the conditions) are there to assist you, to help you and keep you focussed,” the judge told him.

Aldred, formerly of York and Selby, and now of no fixed address, admitted three charges of breaching a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO).

He had told the authorities about some of his offences, York Crown Court heard.

The breaches included contacting a child, using a mobile device in incognito browsing mode and resetting an internet device to factory settings.

All were banned under the terms of the SHPO which was imposed for 10 years last June.

On that occasion, he pleaded guilty to meeting a child after sexual grooming and sexual communication with a child.

After the court heard how a psychologist had assessed Aldred as having mild learning difficulties as well as a mental age of 10, he was given a two-year prison sentence suspended for two years.

The court heard he had told an underage girl he wanted sex with her but only kissed her when they met.