It’s been decided that more work is needed on a plan to “reintegrate” a sex offender into the community.
Since last January, William King, now 45, has been “detained at His Majesty’s pleasure” at Les Oberlands.
He was originally held on remand at the prison after being arrested on suspicion of sexual offences in 2023, but he was moved to the hospital in January last year after he was found unfit to stand trial in July 2024.
This week, the Royal Court was asked to decide if King could enter the next phase of his sex offender treatment programme, which involves “interacting with the community”.
The court was told this is so he can put the training he has received since being detained into practice.
Key experts involved in King’s treatment and wellbeing have given evidence this week, with the court hearing how he has completed the necessary programme required.
It is normally a 50 week course, delivered in hour long sessions, however the court was told King completed the process in just 19 sessions with some lasting up to three hours.
It was said that he had engaged with the course, although he found it “frustrating” because he doesn’t accept his autism diagnosis, or claims that he is a sex offender.
Dr Dominic Bishop, the Head of Guernsey’s mental health unit, said he was “very keen to progress with (King’s) reintegration with the community”, but added that “unfortunately this is outside my decision”.
Dr Bishop told the court that King “does not need to be in hospital,” and noted that the Oberlands is providing “nothing other than bed and board” at this stage in his treatment.
Alongside other healthcare professionals who have been involved in King’s treatment since his detainment, it was agreed that his time confined at the facility was doing more harm than good for any treatment process.
Concerns were raised however over whether King would be able to abide by any Sexual Offender Prevention Order placed if or when he is released into the community.
During the two and a half day hearing, Senior Probation Officer Gemma Lockwood told the court that when she has spoken to King about a potential reintegration package she got “a very aggressive presentation,” and she cited a “lack of confidence” when it comes to King obeying a SOPO.
Ms Lockwood’s opinion was based on King breaching his SOPO twice over the past year while being held at the Oberlands.
The court was aware that if he was on probation, and had not been found unfit to stand trial, he would have seen him sent back to prison for the breaches.
In one instance King tried to use a television with internet access to search for ways he could use it as a mobile phone, and in the second he was given an iPad which hadn’t been disconnected from the internet. He used the device to try and contact an individual he’s been told he can’t.
“It depends on the day,” Ms Lockwood replied when she was asked what kind of response she would receive when interacting with King.
She said that “in a general sense Mr King does not want to return to the Oberlands or to prison”.
When asked if she thought he would be able to abide by instructions when reintegrating into the community, she said it would come down to any interactions he may have, “especially in moments of stress,” as she had “heard of moments where Mr King blows up”.
The court heard of one such instance, when King was being escorted around the perimeter of Les Oberlands. When confronted by a member of the community he reacted in a verbally violent manner.
Ms Lockwood stated firmly: “I don’t have the confidence, that on discharge, that in high moments of stress, it won’t happen again in the community.”
The court heard how King had said that “if anyone in the community says anything” to him about being sex offender he would “just assault them”.
The court also heard that he had claimed: “I’ll just use my mum’s phone to look up (REDACTED), and there’s nothing they can do about it”.
Dr Bishop referred to these instances as “moments of bravado” that carried little weight.
Having heard from those involved with his care and treatment so far, the Court decided that a more acceptable reintegration package needs to be created,
The court has therefore not granted the application for King to be released from the care of the Oberlands, and neither has it refused. Instead the court was adjourned until the proposed plans are redrawn, in order to examine how any risk “would be managed”.
In summing up the court’s decision, Judge Catherine Fooks agreed with Advocate Peter Ferbrache, representing King, that his client can’t stay on Crevichon ward indefinitely.
However, she noted that the court needed to see “the working relationships in place”, meaning those who are involved in any phased reintegration plan need to meet King and plan the next steps appropriately.
Judge Fooks stated that before any decision is made on whether or not to approve the request for reintegration “the relationships with those involved need to be established in advance of the plan starting”.
A confirmed date has not been set, but the Royal Court will reconvene to consider the matter in roughly three weeks time.