Sex offender convicted of assaulting photographer at Omagh court

A JUDGE has highlighted the importance of journalists after convicting a paedophile of assaulting a press photographer.

Gareth Kitchener, 38, originally from Castlederg, was found guilty of assaulting a photographer, destroying his camera and later breaching his Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO).

Omagh Magistrates Court heard that, on August 8, the victim was outside Omagh courthouse on an assignment to capture a photo of Kitchener that day.

The photographer told the court that he had stood outside for an hour as Kitchener moved between court doors and went to move his car before his ticket expired.

However, when he parked again on John Street, the defendant had left the court and the photographer crossed the road to get a photo of the convicted paedophile.

The victim said he was shoved by Kitchener onto the road in front of traffic, causing injury to his back and elbow. He said that his camera was ‘totally smashed’ and that his lens hood was damaged.

Defence counsel Nadine Knight, who represented Kitchener, put it to the photographer that the defendant ‘couldn’t see’ the victim and that the photographer ‘put himself in Kitchener’s way’, which was denied by the victim.

The court then heard evidence from a court security officer who saw the photographer get out of his car before the defendant flung out his arm and pushed the victim on to the road in front of traffic.

A photo of the incident, taken by a second photographer, showed the victim falling on to the road, with Kitchener looking at him with the jumper raised above his face.

Afterwards, a police detective told the court that in relation to the SOPO breach, officers checked Kitchener’s bail address on August 13 at 12.50am.

It was noted that the blinds were open in the windows and that a spiderweb on the front door had been untouched in days.

Kitchener then took to the witness box to give his version of events, where he claimed that he ‘didn’t see’ or feel any contact with the photographer.

As for the SOPO breach, the defendant said he would return to his home around 2am because he feared being attacked during the day.

When asked about the spiderweb, Kitchener said that he would enter via the backdoor, not the front.

Judge Magill, after hearing and seeing all of the evidence, said that a free press is an important guarantee of a democratic society and that journalists and photographers have a right to report on what happens in court for the general public who cannot be there.

Kitchener was found guilty on all three charges by judge Magill, who adjourned the case until March 18 for sentencing.