Convicted Derg paedophile admits breaching SOPO

A CONVICTED paedophile from Castlederg has pleaded guilty to breaching the terms of his sexual offences prevention order (SOPO) and resisting arrest, a court has heard.

Gareth Kitchener (38), previously with an address at Millbrook Gardens, pleaded guilty to the offences on Tuesday, when he appeared before Omagh Magistrates Court.

The court heard how the offences were initially reported by a passer-by who knew of Kitchener’s conviction and court orders not to be near places where children were present, and not to have any contact with children.

The court heard that, on March 13, Kitchener was observed at a petrol station opposite an Omagh primary school with two young children. Enquiries revealed that, while these were his children, he was only permitted supervised contact.

The following day, police attended the petrol station and observed Kitchener enter and walk to the rear of the premises. He then peered over shelving, and asked a member of staff, “Are they looking for me?”

At this time, he was aware police were actively seeking him.

He left in a car which was located at an address nearby, and later became ‘verbally aggressive’ with police. He refused to open his car doors after locking them.

An officer attempted to open the car door by putting his arms through a partially-open window, but Kitchener drove off.

Police later managed to open the door. However, the defendant ‘actively’ resisted arrest.

Meanwhile, CCTV footage at the petrol station showed Kitchener had breached the SOPO on several occasions over the previous fortnight.

On Tuesday, Kitchener pleaded guilty to the two remaining breaches of his SOPO and resisting arrest. The Public Prosecution Service (PPS) then withdrew a further obstructing police charge.

District Judge Ted Magill adjourned the sentencing until December 17 to allow for a probation report to be prepared.