A PAEDOPHILE who threatened to rape and kill has been detained indefinitely under the Mental Health Act.
The 24-year-old from Thatcham was also caught with indecent images of children and even a baby.
Reading Crown Court
But Niall Tutt refused to attend his own sentencing hearing at Reading Crown Court on Thursday, January 9.
At a previous hearing, Tutt had pleaded not guilty to a single charge of sexual touching, which happened in Thatcham on a specific date in 2021.
When he failed to attend his trial last October Judge James Bromige ruled the hearing would proceed in his absence.
During the trial Steve Molloy, prosecuting, said Tutt had sexually assaulted the girl, then aged 16.
When confronted by the victim’s father, said Mr Molloy, Tutt responded with a message stating: “I’ll rape her in front of you, then kill you both.”
After a jury convicted him in his absence, a warrant was issued for his arrest.
At Thursday’s sentencing hearing, which Tutt also refused to attend, it emerged that, during their investigation, police had seized his iPhone.
An analysis revealed Tutt, who lived in Thatcham and who also has connections to Padworth, had used image search terms such as “paedo” and “rape”, the court heard.
There was also a hoard of images, including some in Category A – the most serious kind, depicting penetration, torture or bestiality – and extreme pornography.
One of the victims in the images was a two-year-old.
John Lucas, representing Tutt, said he was unable to mitigate fully because his client maintained his innocence and had refused to engage with him.
He added: “It’s an unusual situation I’ve only encountered two or three times in my career.”
He drew the judge’s attention to psychiatric reports that revealed Tutt was currently detained for psychiatric treatment and had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.
Nevertheless, the court heard, Tutt had been deemed fit to plead and to participate in the court process.
Judge Bromige said he would pass sentence and deliver his sentencing remarks as if Tutt was present.
He added: “You are not, it’s fair to say, a well man.
“Doctors are of the opinion you should be made subject to a hospital order.”
The judge concurred and ruled that Tutt should be detained under Section 37 of the Mental Health Act.
He ruled this should be an indefinite order.
Judge Bromige stressed: “This is not a punishment, but for your own well-being and for the protection of the public.”
In addition, Tutt was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for seven years.
He was also made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for the same period.
Finally, Judge Bromige made Tutt subject to a restraining order preventing him from having any contact with his Thatcham sex assault victim.