'Perpetually on the run' man with 'troubled past' avoids prison for having indecent images of children

Shrewsbury Crown Court was told that Scott Davies, of no fixed address in Shrewsbury, had suffered a “traumatic childhood” and he had admitted his crimes by being 'open and frank' with the probation service.

His defence barrister told the court on Friday that ever since Davies' crimes were reported in the press he has been “continually looking over his shoulder".

Rosemary Proctor, defending, said that “some people” had reacted to what they had read and Davies had been “threatened by people thinking they could take the law into their own hands".

She added that this was "reprehensible" since Davies is a defendant who has accepted his guilt and “does not intend to do anything like this ever again".

Ms Proctor added that he had been open and frank with the probation service and “wants to engage”.

“He has also been a victim,” she added.

“There is a special stigma for this sort of offences,” she said.