BUNGLING bureaucracy within the prison service denied a sex offender the treatment he needed and incurred harsh words from a judge who jailed him for three-and-a-half years.

Judge Timothy Nash had previously sentenced Richard Neville, 37, of Grosvenor Place, Margate to four years but the sentence was reduced to three on appeal on the promise of treatment for Neville in prison.

But the treatment was never forthcoming and last Friday at Canterbury Crown Court Judge Nash jailed Neville for three-and-a-half years and condemned the lack of help for Neville as "bungling bureaucracy".

“One might have expected the Court of Appeal’s wishes and concerns to have been honoured by the Home Secretary but they weren’t. It may be the probation officer [who made representations to the Appeal Court] believed the prison service would do something constructive in relation to Mr Neville, but they didn’t.”

“They bungled the whole thing then put it down to a lack of resources which is little short of scandalous,” said Judge Nash.

Neville had been arrested in June after he was seen masturbating behind beach huts at Westbrook, Margate. He had a string of convictions for indecent exposure and outraging public decency, the offence he admitted when he appeared before Thanet magistrates who then committed him to the Crown Court for sentence.

Judge Nash said he believed the Thames Valley Sex Offender Programme would work for Neville but there was a risk he would ruin the advantages before it had time to take effect. Treatment in custody was the answer although that wouldn’t start until November.

“This sort of behaviour, with the stress it puts you and others under, is ultimately going to take a tragic toll unless you come to grips with it,” said Judge Nash.