Former NKDC councillor Ian Dolby appeared at Lincoln Crown Court. Photo: NKDC
A former Sleaford councillor was found to have a “vast quantity” of pornography after police searched his home, a jury has heard.
Ian Dolby, an Independent North Kesteven district councillor up until April 2014, was described to the jury at Lincoln Crown Court as having “a rapacious interest” in downloading pornography from the internet after police found over 700 computer disks containing porn images at his home in Sleaford.
Martin Hurst, prosecuting, told the jury that 45 of the disks contained images of illegal child pornography.
The images had been burned onto the disks using a laptop, said Mr Hurst.
The police search carried out in December 2013 followed the arrest of Dolby’s then lodger over a completely unconnected matter.
Mr Hurst alleged that officers who initially went to the property discovered photographs of unclothed young girls on the walls and folders containing photographs of young girls.
As a result CID officers were asked to attend and a detailed search was carried out.
Mr Hurst said: “They searched the whole house. They searched in particular Dolby’s bedroom and took away quite a lot of things principally electronic devices including a laptop.
“Also in his bedroom they found a very, very substantial library of DVD disks.
“These were DVDs he had made at home. He had burned them from websites he had been visiting on the internet.”
Mr Hurst alleged that 45 of the DVDs contained around 180 hours of film of child pornography including 46 hours of the worst category.
He told the jury: “They contained some of the most offensive material that you can imagine. The 45 DVDs contained principally or exclusively indecent images of children. The other 687 were dip-tested. There was a vast quantity of adult pornography.
“When asked if there were any indecent images of children on his laptop he said there was a possibility something may have been downloaded accidentally.”
When Dolby was interviewed he said he tried to make sure that the images he viewed were of girls over the age of 18.
Mr Hurst said: “He made it perfectly clear that he has an interest in looking at sexual pictures of young women. He revealed a rapacious interest in downloading pornography. When he sees something he likes he burns it onto a DVD.”
Police returned to Dolby’s home in May 2016 to re-arrest him and charge him for the 2013 matters.
They took away two Samsung tablets which were found to contain over 350 indecent images of children, said Mr Hurst.
Mr Hurst told the jury: “The prosecution say that when you have heard all of the evidence you will be absolutely confident that this man is a paedophile and that is why he has downloaded this and burned it and stored it.”
Ian Dolby, 52, of North Road, Sleaford, denies 36 charges of making an indecent image of a child.
The trial continues.
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A lorry driver has been warned he faces a prison sentence after admitting causing a fatal collision in Lincoln Crown Court on Thursday.
Tiberiu Dori, 34, of Devizes, Wiltshire, pleaded guilty when he appeared before Lincoln Crown Court to causing death by dangerous driving of RAF Waddington Corporal Christopher Showell on April 16, 2020.
The charge follows a collision on the A15 at Dunsby Hollow, near RAF Cranwell, where Dori’s HGV crashed into Showell’s black BMW 3 series.
Recorder Charles Falk adjourned sentence for the preparation of a pre-sentence report and granted Dori bail to appear back before the Crown Court for sentence on April 16.
The Recorder imposed an interim driving ban and told Dori: “The fact that I have requested a pre-sentence report is no reflection on what sentence you will face.
“The most likely sentence will be a custodial sentence and you must prepare for immediate custody.”
Hundreds of students have been tested in the coronavirus testing centre at the sports hall at Lincoln College ahead of Monday’s return to class.
The college’s 16 to 18-year-old students will be offered three tests each over the next two weeks. They will then be provided with home testing kits to test themselves twice a week.
Adult learners and staff will start their home testing from Monday, March 8. Similar testing centres have also been set up at the college’s Gainsborough and Newark campuses.
Student Ellie Sippings recently attended the coronavirus testing centre at Lincoln College.
Ellie Sippings, who is a Level 3 Policing College student, recently took a COVID-19 test at Lincoln College.
She said: “I decided to come and get tested as it’s important that I keep myself and my family safe without spreading the virus, especially before returning to college.
“The test was over and done with quickly, the hall was organised and easy to locate round.
“The lady that I had helping me, Suzanne, was patient and lovely throughout, which helped put me at ease. I will be coming back to complete my next two.”
The coronavirus testing centre at the sports hall at Lincoln College.
Mark Locking, Managing Director for Education and Training at the college, said “We are committed to ensuring the continued safety of our students and staff as they return to face-to-face lessons from next week.
“Many of the people working in our testing centres are teachers and college support staff who have volunteered and I would like to say a huge thank you for their dedication and professionalism.
“We can’t wait to welcome students and apprentices back into our classrooms and workshops – they need and deserve to get back to face to face learning and a focus on their practical skills development.”
Meanwhile, a school in North Hykeham – NK Academy – outlined its plans for welcoming pupils back into school from Monday after the start of its coronavirus testing programme.
Investigations into how a nut factory in Heckington caught fire on Thursday have finished, though how it all began is still unclear.
Ten fire crews from across Lincolnshire attended the blaze at The Roasting Company on Station Road at around 11.30am on Thursday morning, and the last crews didn’t leave the scene until almost 1am on Friday.
Everyone inside the building was accounted for and declared safe, but due to huge smoke clouds, residents were asked to keep their doors and windows shut.
Nobody was injured in the incident. | Photo: BBC Radio Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue have now confirmed that the conclusion of their investigation found it to be accidental, but the exact reason is still undetermined.
Firefighters working to put out the blaze. | Photo: Shane Smith
The flames had gone through the roof of the steel-framed building, and people nearby to the incident said peanut skins were raining down from the sky when the factory caught fire.
Neighbouring buildings were left unscathed after the quick response from firefighters, who prevented the gulf of flames from spreading beyond the factory.
The fire has now been put out. | Photo: BBC Radio Lincolnshire
Crews from Sleaford, Donington, Kirton, Brant Broughton, Spalding, Lincoln South, Bourne, Woodhall Spa, Holbeach, Market Rasen and Boston took care of the flames.
The Lincolnite contacted The Roasting Company for a statement, but there has been no reply at the time of publication.