William Melville, a 36-year-old high-risk sex offender from Glen Lee, East Kilbride, could be jailed after admitting two breaches of a sexual offences prevention order at Hamilton Sheriff Court. The order, imposed in 2020, required him to inform police of any new intimate relationship and prohibited him from associating with any other sex offender without prior approval.
Details of the Breaches
Prosecutor Daisy Bentley told the court that Melville failed to notify authorities about a new girlfriend and also struck up a friendship with another male sex offender without police permission. The male sex offender reported to police that he had met Melville in prison and that Melville had a girlfriend.
Police officers visited Melville's home on February 2, 2024, and found him with his new girlfriend, who was aware of his convictions and status in the community. Officers also found the other sex offender's phone number on Melville's phone.
Defence and Sentencing
Defence lawyer Ian Scott described the failure to report the friendship as an 'error of judgment', stating that Melville 'did not see any harm in being friendly with this man'. Regarding the relationship, Scott said it started on social media in late January and Melville 'wanted to see how it developed', calling it an 'oversight' not to tell police. He argued that the relationship was 'healthy' and that monitoring authorities were content for it to continue, suggesting 'some form of alternative to custody could be explored'.
Sheriff John Hamilton KC deferred sentence until next month for background reports and a risk assessment, continuing Melville's bail.
Previous Convictions
In January 2023, Melville was jailed for 16 months for failing to tell police about a relationship with another woman. He has also been jailed twice for sex offences involving young people, receiving sentences of 15 months and 27 months, and was imprisoned on two further occasions in 2023 for breaching court orders.
