A convicted sex offender has admitted breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) by helping out at a community centre.
32-year-old Bruce Wayne, of Watermint Way, Calne, appeared before Swindon magistrates this morning where he admitted volunteering without permission of his police offender manager, which put him in breach of the order. The SHPO was granted in October 2020 after concerns were raised about his ‘behaviour’.
Formerly known as Andrew Jason Phillips, he was convicted at Newcastle Crown Court of sexual activity with a child under 16 in 2011.
Crown prosecutor Kate Prince told the court Wayne he’d been volunteering at Calne Central, a non-profit youth and community centre in the town between January and March this year. The centre hosts a youth club for 14-18-year-olds after school and drop-ins for adults – mostly vulnerable adults or those with mental health issues.
He is said to enquire about volunteering back in December last year but was told to return in January. On 4 January, with a number of others, Wayne attended Calne Central for a meeting for new helpers. He told them he would be able to volunteer on Saturdays.
He began working at the centre but was always supervised by someone with a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. He later produced his own DBS check which didn’t match the information he had previously provided. The charity contacted Wiltshire Police for advice.
Wayne volunteered for two months, he’d signed up as a fire marshall and health and safety officer. He’d also provided training sessions in health and safety to other volunteers. The defendant also had a set of keys to the building, which he previously denied to police in an interview. However, on inspection of the keys he held when arrested, they found he did possess keys that fitted locks at Calne Central. There were also suggestions he could access the building’s CCTV cameras and previous recordings.
There were claims Wayne had began a friendship with a service user, a woman suffering from mental health issues. He’d once ran to her aid at midnight after she’d contacted him for support.
Prosecutor Prince said he had “immersed himself in the group”, adding that the starting point for this offence is two years imprisonment. She added that he was remanded in custody for both the protection of vulnerable people and for his own safety after making various suicide threats in police custody.
Wayne’s solicitor Tony Nowogrodski said his client had initially gone to Calne Central for food, as a service user but soon after began helping out. He said his client was suffering from mental health issues. He told the court that Wayne had not engaged with the youth club, meaning his access to under 18s was limited.
Magistrates declined jurisdiction, sending the case to Swindon Crown Court due to its severity. He is due to appear on 9 April for sentencing.
The court bailed him, but conditions prevent him from going close to Calne Central and must live and sleep at his home address.
“You do exactly as said. You don’t do exactly a said, there will be no discussion”, magistrate Amanda Lee warned.
