The three defendants, men aged 73 and 63 and a woman aged 66, appeared for a second time in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, where Judge Gary Perry refused jurisdiction for charges in the case which could be tried in the Royal Court, where longer sentences could be imposed.
The court was told that one of the men was now prepared to enter guilty pleas to all charges against him.
They had been reduced following discussions between his advocate and the prosecution, and some of the original charges were now being taken into consideration alongside the lead charges.
Advocates for the other two defendants have asked for adjournments while psychological assessments were being carried out on their clients. The case was adjourned until a committal hearing on 22 October. It will return to the Magistrate’s Court on 10 November. No pleas have been entered by any of the defendants at this stage.
At the previous hearing the three were facing more than 25 charges dating from 2017 to 2024. They have now been reduced to fewer than 20.
All three are still facing a charge of the ill-treatment of a dog through engaging in sexual acts, which dates back to 2018.
The 73-year-old man also faces four counts of sending messages of indecent character through the telecoms network, two charges of behaving in an indecent manner in public with the woman, and one charge of the possession of indecent images. The younger man faces a charge under animal welfare laws and a separate case of sending a message of indecent character through the telecoms network.
The woman also faces seven solo charges of behaving in an indecent manner in various public places between 2017 and 2024.
The three defendants are not being named at this point by the Guernsey Press, in accordance with our long-standing policy not to name people accused of sexual offences until the admission of guilt or conviction.
