Reflections 2019: Richard Wright – A year of big change

An ex-RAF serviceman who had online sex chat with someone he thought was a 13-year-old schoolgirl was caught in a police sting operation.

David Walker, 51, chatted with “Sky” even though she told him her age early on in the conversation.

Philip Plant, prosecuting, told Lincoln Crown Court “Sky” was actually a decoy police officer posing as a schoolgirl.

During the chat Walker made comments such as “Have you ever had naughty fun?” and went on to suggest the girl should carry out a sex act, saying he would show her what to do.

As a result of the conversations, which happened in a 24-hour period in February this year, police visited Walker and examined his mobile phone and computer.

Mr Plant said: “His phone had searches for the phrase ‘schoolgirl’.

“The defendant was interviewed and initially denied it but eventually made admissions.”

The court was told Walker had no previous convictions.

Walker, of Elizabeth Avenue, Tattershall Bridge, admitted charges of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and facilitating the commission of a child sex offence.

He was given a 16-month jail sentence suspended for two years and ordered to complete up to 40 rehabilitation activity requirement days. He was also ordered to pay £425 prosecution costs.

Recorder William Harbage QC placed him on the sex offenders register for 10 years and gave him a 10-year sexual harm prevention order.

The Recorder told Walker: “These are serious offences. You have brought shame on yourself, on your wife and on your family.

“You engaged in chat with someone who on the face of it was a young girl of 13. In fact she was a decoy set up by undercover police to lure people who have an interest in sexual chat with children. I’m satisfied that on the material in front of me that you do have an interest in school age girls.”

Sunil Khanna, in mitigation, said Walker served in the RAF for 10 years before suffering a breakdown.

Walker, he said, left the RAF but has since suffered mental health problems.

Mr Khanna said: “It was essentially a conversation over a day. It was thoroughly disgraceful but it was with a decoy.”

There have been nearly a thousand new COVID cases recorded in Greater Lincolnshire on Wednesday, the highest daily tally so far — as Sajid Javid announces cases could reach 100,000 a day nationally.

Today’s figures mean there have now been more than 130,000 cases across Greater Lincolnshire’s three upper tier authorities, with Wednesday’s figure being 9.3% higher than the 863 cases at the same point last week and 8.91% higher than the Wednesday prior’s 886.

Nationally, a further 49,139 cases have been reported in the UK, meaning there have been eight consecutive days of more than 40,000 cases. A further 179 people have died in the UK within 28 days of a positive test. Coronavirus deaths are up 21.1% in a week nationally.

The latest COVID stats for Lincolnshire are:

• 965 new cases of coronavirus in Greater Lincolnshire with 713 in Lincolnshire, 112 in North East Lincolnshire and 140 in North Lincolnshire
• One death was recorded in the government figures in North East Lincolnshire, but one was removed from Lincolnshire’s figures – this often happens when data is clarified following initial publication.
• Hospital data showed one further death at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals Trust

In a press conference, Sajid Javid warned that cases nationally could reach over 100,000 a day in the coming months and hospitalisations were approaching 1,000 a day.

He said that although deaths were “mercifully low” they were still around 100 a day.

“We always knew the winter months would provide the greatest threat to our COVID recovery… we’re starting to see this happening,” he said.

“This virus will be with us for the long term and it remains a threat,” he added.

He also confirmed a new version of the Delta variant, known as AY4.2.

But, warning that booster jabs were important, he added: “While there’s no reason to believe AY4.2 poses a greater threat, the next variant or the one after that might do.”

He said the gap was “narrowing” between the virus and the vaccine, and that the government was going to “redouble our efforts”.

But he added: “We’ve come so far thanks to the efforts of so many. But with winter ahead, we can’t blow it now.”

Health secretary Sajid Javid during Wednesday’s press conference.

However, he said the government would not be bringing in its plan B just yet, but announced two new antiviral drugs would be trialled after the UK’s antivirals taskforce struck deals to purchase more than 730,000 courses of the drugs combined.

They include Molnupiravir, which has undergone clinical trials and shown reduced risk of hospitalisation or death by 50% – and Ritonavir, which is still undergoing clinical trials but is widely used in combination with other treatments for HIV infections.

Both drugs first need to be evaluated by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), but if successful will be given to the most vulnerable with COVID.

Elsewhere, he urged people to get the vaccine as soon as possible, including the most vulnerable getting booster jabs and opening up the national booking service to 12-15-year-olds.

The government has faced calls from the NHS Confederation, which represents health service organisations, on Wednesday to implement its Plan B, which includes mandatory face coverings in crowded and enclosed spaces.

Matthew Taylor, head of the NHS Confederation told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that “the health service is right at the edge”.

They say the rising demands are worrying and that bringing in the rules would avoid a “winter crisis”.

They have been backed by some House of Lords peers, including Labour’s Baroness Thornton, who said: “it’s quite clear those things aren’t working” in response to an urgent question on plan B.

Lincolnshire’s coronavirus cases up to October 20. | Image: GOV.uk

However, Downing Street has said there are no plans to do so.

Instead the latest figures will continue to be monitored while hospital admissions and deaths are still “substantially lower” than they were earlier in the year, a spokesman said.

They added: “The important thing is the fact that our vaccination programme has has been successful in breaking the link between cases and hospitalisations and deaths.

“Our focus remains on ensuring ensuring we get boosters out to those who are eligible.”

Elsewhere today, England’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer and Boston-boy Jonathan Van-Tam has urged youngsters to not believe everything they read on social media, instead asking to trust medical professionals and get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire on Wednesday, October 20

130,273 cases (up 965)

• 86,386 in Lincolnshire (up 713)
• 21,410 in North Lincolnshire (up 140)
• 22,477 in North East Lincolnshire (up 112)

2,379 deaths (no change)

• 1,738 from Lincolnshire (down one)
• 328 from North Lincolnshire (up one)
• 313 from North East Lincolnshire (up one)

of which 1,430 hospital deaths (up one)

• 876 at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (no change)
• 44 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (no change)
• 1 at Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (no change)
• 509 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (up one)

DATA SOURCE — FIGURES CORRECT AT THE TIME OF THE LATEST UPDATE. POSTCODE DATA INCLUDES DEATHS NOT IN HEALTHCARE FACILITIES OR IN HOSPITALS OUTSIDE AUTHORITY BOUNDARIES.

Ten men who were part of two organised crime groups who trafficked high purity cocaine between Lincolnshire and the West Midlands have been jailed for a combined total of over 100 years.

The men distributed an estimated £1.36 million of high purity cocaine.

During warrants executed at properties across Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Warwickshire and the West Midlands, specialist search teams seized 2.086kg of uncut cocaine which had a street value of up to £209,000.

The organised crime groups trafficked the Class A drug between Lincolnshire and the West Midlands, with an estimated 17kg of cocaine between January 1, 2019 and January 27, 2020.

The operation was uncovered by detectives and investigators from Lincolnshire Police and the East Midlands Serious Organised Crime Unit (EMSOU).

Officers found evidence of lavish lifestyles with receipts for a staggering £266,225 of goods including luxury clothing still in boxes, which had been purchased at stores in London, Paris, Copenhagen, encrypted mobile phones, and £29,540 of cash. The police raids took place in January 2020.

The investigation also revealed how the organised crime group from Lincolnshire sourced the Class A drugs from a Coventry-based OCG. Couriers made frequent trips to the Coventry area for exchanges to take place. Drug buys also took place in a rural area near Stanton on the Wolds in Nottinghamshire.

Three of those sentenced today – Robert Diaz, Barry Knight, and Stephen Oliver had stood trial at Nottingham Crown Court in August. A further seven men had already pleaded guilty to other charges related to their part in the conspiracy, which also included the production of cannabis.

The jail sentences

• Robert Diaz, 42, of Maltkiln Lane, Waddington, Lincoln was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to supply class A drugs, namely cocaine. He was sentenced to 19 years in prison
• Barry Knight, 60, of Nuneaton Road, Bulkington, Bedworth, Warwickshire. He was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to supply class A drugs, namely cocaine. He was sentenced to 18 years in prison
• Stephen Oliver, 44, of Windsor Street, Rugby, Warwickshire. He was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to supply class A drugs, namely cocaine. He previously pleaded guilty to one count of producing cannabis between June 1, 2019 and January 16, 2020. He was jailed for eight years plus a concurrent sentence of 21 months for production of cannabis
• Edward Wivell, 41, of North Parade, Lincoln. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, namely cocaine. He was jailed for six years and four months
• Andrew Turner, 40, of Holmcroft, Coventry, West Midlands. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, namely cocaine, one count of producing Class B drugs, namely cannabis, and one RIPA offence. He was jailed for eight years and eight months, plus a concurrent sentence of eight months for cannabis production and four months for failing to provide a passcode
• Joseph McCluskey, 43, of Parkfield Road, Keresley End, Coventry, West Midlands has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs, namely cocaine. He was sentenced to nine years and nine months in prison
• Jon Moreton, 50, of Torbay Road, Coventry, West Midlands. He has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs, namely cocaine. He was jailed for 10 years and nine months
• Stuart Bassett-Hawcock, 34, of Oaklands Close, Lincoln. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs, namely, cocaine. He was jailed for eight years
• Jack Constable, 34, of Foxhall Road, Nottingham. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs, namely cocaine. He was jailed for eight years
• Michael Kershaw, 41, of Florian Way, Coventry, West Midlands. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs, namely cocaine. He was jailed for seven years and six months

There will now be Proceeds of Crimes Act (POCA) proceedings against the offenders to recover assets amassed through their criminal activity.

Kerrin Wilson, Assistant Chief Constable at Lincolnshire Police, said: “This was a complex drugs operation, and today’s result shows the tenacity and dedication of all the investigative teams from both Lincolnshire Police and EMSOU.

“We are determined to tackle the scourge of drugs which blights the lives of many across society, and thanks to the hard work of the investigation team, organised crime gangs which push these drugs have been dealt a swift and powerful blow to their operations.

“Organised criminals prey on users, and their activities can bring with them wider issues of violence and exploitation that goes with drug traffickers. We are pleased to see such a good result today, but we are not complacent; we will continue to work hard to safeguard our communities and protect the vulnerable.”