A sex offender who tried to dispose of his prohibited phone outside Maidstone police station has been jailed.
Sean Royle is subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) which bans him from using a device which can access the internet without officers’ permission but on 21 May 2026, Royle was involved in a vehicle collision directly in front of the station on Palace Avenue.
Officers rushed to help, but a detective inside the building spotted Royle acting suspiciously and throwing an item over a wall towards the river. However the investigator immediately flagged this to his uniformed colleagues as they approached the scene of the incident and an officer jumped over the wall to retrieve the item, which turned out to be a phone.
Once the 40 year old was identified and the conditions of his court order were established, Royle, from Maidstone, was arrested and charged with breaching his SHPO. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced on Monday 17 August at Maidstone Crown Court to 12 months’ imprisonment.
PC Cat Cooper, the investigating officer, 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.’