David Cowan, A REGISTERED Whitehaven Paedophile failed to notify police that he had been staying at a friend’s address with a child present.
David Cowan, 44, is the subject of sex offender notification requirements as a result of convictions for sexual offences, Workington Magistrates’ Court heard.
Pamela Fee, prosecuting, said the defendant must inform police within three days if he resides at an address where a child under 18 resides or stays.
But David Cowan failed to notify police that he had stayed at an address with a child in Whitehaven, on or before September 27.
The court heard that police had arrived at David Cowan’s address to carry out an unannounced visit. Officers located David Cowan at the home address of a friend, who has a child, and was also at the address.
David Cowan and the woman were previously in a relationship but now remain friends. The defendant had stayed at her address ‘a couple of times’ since August and her child had been present on those occasions.
During police interview, David Cowan admitted breaching the requirements by staying at the property while a child was present and failing to notify the police.
David Cowan accepted that he had signed and received a copy of the notification requirements but ‘hadn’t grasped’ the requirements at the time.
He said he hadn’t had any unsupervised contact with the child. He said he sleeps in the spare room and ‘has a good relationship with the child’.
David Cowan had been staying at the address ‘a couple of times a week’, according to the woman.
Ms Fee said there had been ‘repeated breaches’ and a child had been present, so there was some risk involved.
David Cowan, who was not legally represented, said: “I just didn’t really understand it. I got out of prison, had no medication or anything. I just signed away. I didn’t check it or anything.”
When asked how a custodial sentence would affect him, David Cowan replied: “It would take me right back to the beginning again, with my mental health.”
David Cowan, of Corkickle, Whitehaven, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to failing to comply with notification requirements of the Sex Offenders’ Register.
Passing sentence, Christine Williams, chair of the magistrates’ panel, said there was ‘no evidence’ that Cowan was a risk towards minors.
David Cowan was given an 18-month community order with 26 programme requirement days and 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days.
He was also given a four-month curfew and must pay £85 costs and a £114 victim surcharge.
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