Former PSNI officer who is convicted sex offender failed to notify authorities he was working as a chef
A former PSNI officer who is a convicted sex offender failed to tell his designated risk manager he was working as a chef.
The 43-year-old breached a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) by working in a place where he was in the presence of people aged under-18.
Ballymena Magistrates Court was told the defendant had been working at 'The Stone Hound' pub/restaurant at The Junction retail park in Antrim town and the offences came to light on October 21 this year.
In 2023 the defendant, Christopher Little, with an address listed as Cove Avenue in Groomsport, was given a sentence including a SOPO after he pleaded guilty to four counts of attempted sexual communication with a child and three offences of attempting to arrange or facilitate the commission of a sex act.
He also pleaded guilty to attempting to incite a child to commit a sex act and possessing an indecent image. He had been in touch with undercover police officers acting as children aged 12-14.
At one stage, the 2023 court was told, he sent a photo saying he was work and a prosecutor said the picture was taken "in PSNI HQ".
A prosecutor told Ballymena Magistrates Court in recent days: "On the 21st of October, police became aware that he had been working in The Stone Hound restaurant at The Junction retail park.
"The Designated Risk Manager was unaware of this and it hadn't been approved. It transpired he had been working there since July of 2026."
A police officer said if permission had been sought to work at the restaurant it would not have been approved because there would have been potential interaction with people aged under-18.
A defence barrister said due to previous offences the defendant lost his job and had a "fall from grace" and he "retrained as a chef".
The barrister said the defendant did not think he was "doing anything wrong" by obtaining the chef job but it should have been raised with his risk manager.
"As far as he was concerned he was working in the kitchen, cooking, chefing. Unbeknownst to him, or perhaps he didn't take consideration of the fact, there were people who were working there who were under the age of 18. He accepts that with hindsight."
District Judge Nigel Broderick said it was a "serious matter" to breach a SOPO which was designed to "prevent reoffending".
He told Little that "working in this environment could in theory have brought you into contact with children under the age of 18 which clearly is a risk you pose in light of your previous convictions".
The defendant was given a three months prison term, suspended for two years.