Tom Binns: Comedian who had 35,000 indecent images of children is spared jail
A comedian who had more than 35,000 indecent images of children has been spared jail.
Tom Binns, whose character is a hospital DJ called Ivan Brackenbury and who has appeared on Channel 4’s 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown, pleaded guilty last November.
The 53-year-old, whose full name is Christopher Thomas Binns, admitted five counts of making indecent images of children and one of possessing a prohibited image.
He was found to have thousands of images on multiple devices, Derby Crown Court heard.
Prosecutor Lauren Fisher said 104 category A indecent images – the most serious – were discovered, along with 411 in category B and 34,946 in category C.
Ms Fisher also said three prohibited images were found, along with one category B and one C moving image.
However, the judge warned some of the images may have been duplicates.
All were downloaded between 26 March and 21 November 2020 – beginning, therefore, just after the first COVID lockdown began.
Binns has said he took an overdose of prescription drugs for ADHD which induced obsessive-compulsive disorder.
In an earlier statement to the comedy news website, Chortle, he said that while “under the influence” of the drugs he “downloaded and deleted a very large amount of adult pornography over a short period of time”.
The case was heard at Derby Crown Court
He added: “Within those downloads, it appears there was some child pornography which I had not sought out nor wanted.
“I have no sexual interest in children. I have taken and passed a polygraph stating I have no sexual interest in children.
“I am bitterly upset at the hurt this has caused my family, for which I take full responsibility.
“I will take my punishment for this and hope that my family are not further harmed by my actions.”
‘Huge number of incident images’ – NCA
However, Holly Triggs from the National Crime Agency said Binns “deliberately collected a huge number of indecent images of children”.
She added: “Behind each one is an abused child who has had their wellbeing, innocence and privacy violated.”
Judge Shaun Smith KC told Binns that had the pandemic not happened, and had he not taken the medication, “you would not be before the court”.
Despite adding that Binns’s offending was “simply unacceptable”, the judge decided he does not pose a risk to the public and is unlikely to re-offend, handing him a suspended sentence.
He gave Binns a combined 10-month term, suspended for 15 months, made him the subject of a sexual harm prevention order and ordered him to sign the sex offenders’ register, both for 10 years.
He said: “You are sickened by what it was that you were downloading and looking at and, quite frankly, you don’t need me to tell you that you should be, because this kind of offending has real victims.
“It is right to say that had it not been for COVID, had it not been for the medication you were taking at that period of time, you would not be before the court, but the fact is that you are.
“You have returned to the law-abiding life that you were living before these offences.”
Two children and a woman have died in a shooting in County Fermanagh, police have said.
Two people were killed in the shooting on Wednesday morning, and a third, who was seriously injured, died in hospital in the afternoon.
A fourth person, a man, was seriously injured in the shooting in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.
All victims were from the same household, Superintendent Robert McGowan, district commander for Fermanagh and Omagh, said at a news conference.
Police have cordoned off the scene in the village of Maguiresbridge, about 75 miles (120km) southwest of Belfast.
“We can advise there is no ongoing risk to the public,” a Police Service of Northern Ireland spokesperson said.
There was no mention of a motive behind the shooting.
The scene in the Drummeer Road area of Maguiresbridge, Co Fermanagh. Pic: Oliver McVeigh /PA Wir
A murder investigation has been launched, with enquiries being at an early stage.
Supt McGowan said at the news conference that police don’t anticipate any arrests being made at this stage.
Emergency services were called to the Drummeer Road area of the village at around 8am on Wednesday following a report raised from the property, Supt McGowan said.
Two people were found dead at the scene, and two others seriously injured.
One patient was taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, by air ambulance and the other to South West Acute Hospital by ambulance. Supt McGowan said the third person died at the South West Acute Hospital.
Drummeer Road is currently closed, police said, warning that this could lead to delays on alternative roads.
Drummeer Road has been cordoned off. Pic: Oliver McVeigh /PA Wir
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn said: “The news from Maguiresbridge is tragic and deeply distressing.
“My thoughts are with the victims, their relatives and the local community in Fermanagh. I would urge the public not to speculate and to allow the PSNI to continue their investigation.”
Sinn Fein MP Pat Cullen has expressed her deep shock over the shooting, saying: “Firstly, my thoughts are with the victims and their families at this tragic time.”
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DUP MLA Deborah Erskine, who represents the area in the Northern Ireland Assembly, said that the community was “stunned” by the shooting in “a rural, quiet area”.
“Everyone is deeply affected by what has happened this morning,” she said.
Five “violent” and “dangerous” gang members have been found guilty of murdering a boy and a young man at a music video shoot in a north London estate.
The men had gone to the Elthorne Estate in Archway “with the intention of killing anyone they could”, the Metropolitan Police said.
And the group mistook those they attacked for rival gang members.
Lorik Lupqi, 21; Jason Furtado, 28; Abel Chunda, 29; Xavier Poponne, 22; and Eden Clark, 31, were convicted of murdering 15-year-old Leonardo Reid and 23-year-old Klevi Shekaj and attempting to murder 28-year-old Abdullah Abdullahi.
(L-R) Xavier Poponne, Lorik Lupqi and Abel Chunda. Pic: Met Police
Leonardo and Mr Shekaj were fatally stabbed and Mr Abdullahi was badly hurt when knifemen descended on the event on the night of 29 June 2023.
Leonardo and his brother had been watching a music video being filmed with friends.
Police said Lupqi, a gang member from Islington, saw the gathering at around 8.30pm and took it as an opportunity to hurt those he thought were gang opponents.
He messaged his girlfriend stating that “opps were outside”. She advised him to remain inside, but Lupqi decided to contact his close friend and gang associate Jason Furtado.
They formed a plan and recruited gang members Chunda, Clark and Poponne to travel to the estate.
Lupqi had booked a taxi to pick up the three men from the area of Furtado’s home address in Canonbury, north London, telling the cab firm: “I’m in a little bit of a rush,” the jury heard.
They had worn masks and were armed as they went to the Elthorne Estate where they met Lupqi, the court was told.
(L-R) Jason Furtado and Eden Clark. Pic: Met Police/PA
By the time they arrived, the filming had ended, and most people had left, but some local children and teenagers remained in the area.
The group then carried out their deadly attack.
The alarm was raised as a black-clad figure wearing a balaclava was spotted crouching down and moving towards Leonardo, his brother and others, with a large knife.
Three more males in black stood up from where they had been hiding behind cars as they edged towards the group, the court was told.
Leonardo was stabbed in the chest, with the wound cutting through his left lung and one of the major blood vessels in his body, causing fatal blood loss.
Leonardo’s brother had run away from the scene but later looped back and saw his sibling lying motionless on the ground, the court heard.
Mr Shekaj was stabbed in the back, with the wound cutting through his left lung and deep into his body.
He was driven to Whittington Hospital by members of the public but he died on arrival.
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Detective Inspector Jim Barry said: “These violent men went into this estate with the intention of killing anyone they could, under the false impression that those there were rival gang members.
“This was a senseless, violent act which has shattered the lives of so many, especially Leonardo and Klevi’s loved ones.
“This dangerous group of men will now spend a long time behind bars but the effect of what they did will be felt by the victim’s shattered families for longer.”
The five killers will appear at the same court on 25 and 26 September for sentencing.
A third person has died in a shooting in Co Fermanagh, police have said.
Two people were killed in the shooting on Wednesday morning, and a third, who was seriously injured, died in the afternoon.
A fourth person was seriously injured in the shooting in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.
All victims were from the same household, Superintendent Robert McGowan, District Commander for Fermanagh and Omagh, said at a news conference.
They have cordoned off the scene in the village of Maguiresbridge, about 75 miles (120km) southwest of Belfast.
“We can advise there is no ongoing risk to the public,” a Police Service of Northern Ireland spokesperson said.
There was no mention of a motive behind the shooting.
The scene in the Drummeer Road area of Maguiresbridge, Co Fermanagh. Pic: Oliver McVeigh /PA Wir
A murder investigation has been launched.
Supt McGowan said at the news conference that police don’t anticipate any arrests to be made at this stage.
Emergency services were called to the shooting in the Drummeer Road area of the village at around 8am on Wednesday, a spokesperson for the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service said.
They confirmed that two people had been injured.
“Following assessment and initial treatment at scene, one patient has been taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, by air ambulance and another to South West Acute Hospital by ambulance,” the spokesperson added.
Drummeer Road is currently closed, police said, warning that this could lead to delays on alternative roads.
Drummeer Road has been cordoned off. Pic: Oliver McVeigh /PA Wir
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn said: “The news from Maguiresbridge is tragic and deeply distressing.
“My thoughts are with the victims, their relatives and the local community in Fermanagh. I would urge the public not to speculate and to allow the PSNI to continue their investigation.”
Sinn Fein MP Pat Cullen has expressed her deep shock over the shooting, saying: “Firstly, my thoughts are with the victims and their families at this tragic time.”
Read more from Sky News:
Jailed traders’ convictions overturned
Family tribute after death of teenager
DUP MLA Deborah Erskine, who represents the area in the Northern Ireland Assembly, said that the community was “stunned” by the shooting in “a rural, quiet area.”
“Everyone is deeply affected by what has happened this morning,” she said.
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