A sex offender who tried to dispose of a prohibited mobile phone after being involved in a collision directly outside Maidstone police station has been jailed.
Sean Royle, 40, is subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) which prevents him from using a device capable of accessing the internet without permission from police.
On 21 May, Royle was involved in a vehicle collision directly outside the police station on Palace Avenue in Maidstone.
As officers rushed to assist those involved, a detective inside the station noticed Royle behaving suspiciously.
The detective saw him throw an object over a wall towards the adjacent river and immediately alerted uniformed colleagues approaching the collision.
One officer jumped over the wall and recovered the discarded item, which was found to be a mobile phone.
After officers identified Royle and established the conditions imposed by his SHPO, he was arrested.
Royle, of Claremont Road, Maidstone, was subsequently charged with breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
He pleaded guilty and appeared at Maidstone Crown Court on Tuesday, 18 August, where he was sentenced to 12 months in prison.
Investigating officer PC Cat Cooper said: “Of all the places to try and dispose of a prohibited item, right outside of a police station would never be the wisest option.
“Officers spotted Royle acting suspiciously straight away and it soon became clear why, leading to his swift arrest and seeing him put back behind bars.
“He is a prolific offender who believed he could ignore the strict conditions of his SHPO without consequence, but we will always ensure criminals like Royle are brought back before the court to answer for their actions.”
