Two brothers told a jury they were shocked over allegations they had planted indecent images of children on a man’s computer when he was a director at a bus company
John David Hulme, 56, of Glan Seiont, Caernarfon was arrested after police were alerted by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) that indecent images had been uploaded to an email address linked to his home and workplace.
The offences are alleged to have been committed between April 2008 and December 2012 during which time Hulme was a director at Gwynedd-based Padarn Bus.
He told detectives he believed the images had been planted on his computer equipment by Darren Price, a co-director at the company, and his brother Shane.
Hulme denies nine charges of making and possessing 15,423 indecent images of boys and girls and stands trial at Caernarfon Crown Court .
Today Hulme’s barrister, Mathew Curtis, asked Darren Price if he had planted the images on Hulme’s computer in a bid to get him sacked from the company and therefore miss out on the firm’s future growth.
Mr Price said: “No, I wanted him to continue working for Padarn Bus.
"After his arrest he was suspended but I continued to ask him to do work for the company until he was charged..”
He insisted he had never accessed Hulme’s laptop or used the Wi-Fi at his home to view or download indecent images of children.
When asked by prosecutor Sion ap Mihangel how he felt when he heard of Hulme’s claims, Mr Price answered: “Shocked, I can’t believe he said such a thing.”
The jury heard Padarn Bus folded in 2014 and Mr Price and Hulme were serving jail terms after being charged with fraud.
Mr Price admitted a charge of false accounting while Hulme was found guilty by a jury of fraud and false accounting.
Today Darren Price’s brother Shane was asked about his visits to Hulme’s home and he said he could remember two visits.
He said the first was while on duty as a firefighter when he, and a colleague, installed fire alarms at the house.
Mr Price said: “The other time was when I went with my brother to take work to him after he was suspended from work.”
Shane Price added he was not financially involved in Padarn Bus but helped out regularly.
During cross examination he said he would occasionally use Hulme’s work computer at weekends so he could be in the same office as his brother.
Asked by both barristers if he had accessed indecent images of children on any of Hulme’s computers, Mr Price said “Not at all.”
Mr ap Mihangel asked him how he felt to be accused of planting such material on the computers used by Hulme.
Speaking in Welsh Mr Price replied: “It makes me sick to think of it.”
Earlier police computer expert Julian Blackford told the jury he had examined the computer equipment seized from Hulme at his home and workplace.
He said the inspection had uncovered significant numbers of indecent images of children.
Mr Blackford said the internet history of the equipment revealed searches had been carried out for indecent images of girls and boys and websites containing pictures of teenage girls had been accessed.
He added some of the images were in folders which had titles “indicative of child pornography”.
Det Con Catherine Walker explained how the matter had been brought to the attention of North Wales Police.
Search warrants were obtained and officers visited both addresses simultaneously.
Det Con Gwyn Williams said he had asked Hulme to point out his work computer and asked him if he had a mobile phone.
He said he was handed a phone by Hulme and was then asked if he had any laptops.
“He said he did not,” the officer said.
As he was being taken to be interviewed at Caernarfon police station the officers received information about a laptop and Hulme’s car was searched and a laptop was found in the boot.
The trial continues.
see-http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/brothers-deny-ex-gwynedd-bus-11825973
