A BARNTON man who had been jailed for causing serious injury by dangerous driving had his time in prison increased after police officers uncovered sickening pornography on his mobile phone.

At Chester Crown Court on Friday, January 18, Judge Steven Everett said that in his 40 years in law he ‘could not remember a case of this type as bad as this’, as descriptions of some of the horrific images and videos in the possession of Nathan Hobbs, 29, were revealed to the court.

Hobbs, a cleaner from Northwich, had on his phone 16 videos of ‘people doing unspeakable things to their genitalia and other people’s’, the court heard, plus 12 images and sexual videos involving animals and one shocking ‘real-life’ image of two men engaging in necrophilia.

Judge Everett sentenced Hobbs, who had pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing extreme pornography, to 18 months in prison, to be served on top of the three-year sentence imposed last November for causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

That offence occurred on Manchester Road West in Little Hulton, near Bolton, on September 16, 2018, when the Audi he was driving hit 18-year-old pedestrian Matthew Hutchinson at 77mph.

The collision resulted in the teenager having his leg amputated.

Prosecuting, Mandy Nepal said Hobbs, of Lydyett Lane in Barnton, had a number of convictions on his record including assault, dishonesty, handling stolen goods and going equipped for theft.

Of the image of necrophilia, Judge Everett said: “I tell you frankly, as a barrister and judge of 40 years, I thought I had seen it all, but clearly I have not...words almost fail me.

“I cannot believe that people who carried out these terrible acts – the sexual abuse of a body – I cannot believe why anyone would want to keep that on anything.”

When Ms Nepal said police had been unable to trace the people involved in making the image, Judge Everett added: “If they were from this country, they would be serving life imprisonment for certain.”

Defending, Martyn Walsh said Hobbs had been part of a Whats App group which was organising a stag party.

A number of images were shared and the videos were automatically downloaded on to the phone.

“He [Hobbs] tells me the ante upped [in the group],” Mr Walsh added.

While he had previous convictions, there were none of this type and Hobbs offered remorse to the court, putting his hands up when interviewed, the court heard.

Judge Everett, in sentencing Hobbs on Friday, said: “The maximum sentence for count two is two years, but it’s hard to see a case more serious than this.

“It really does not bear thinking about.

“We will never know who did it, but any right-thinking person would have gone to the police and secondly could not keep that on their phone.

“You and your group are a group of dangerous individuals; you must have a like-minded approach to the people who carried out these terrible acts.

“You are going to have to take a long hard look at yourself at the age of 29.”

Hobbs was sentenced by the court to a total of 18 months in prison, while the length of his driving ban was extended to account for his later scheduled release from prison.

Judge Everett also made Hobbs the subject of a sexual harm prevention order lasting 10 years.