Ceredigion Herald editor Thomas Sinclair loses court appeal

Thomas Sinclair has separate convictions for identifying a youth and a victim of a sex offence

The editor of a group of local newspapers has lost his appeal against a conviction for identifying the victim of a sex offence.

Thomas Sinclair was found guilty last May, but claimed he had not been aware of the offending report before it was published in the Ceredigion Herald.

The newspaper has since ended its print run.

Sinclair, from Milford Haven, was ordered to pay £5,870 in court costs and compensation within 28 days.

• Herald newspaper ends print run after two years

• Herald editor guilty of breaking anonymity law

• Herald editor fined £500 over youth court report

The original trial heard that details of the relationship between the victim and defendant were published in the newspaper's report about a man convicted of voyeurism.

That along with other details allowed her to be identified when she was entitled to lifelong anonymity.

Sinclair partly owns and edits the Pembrokeshire, Carmarthen and Llanelli Heralds

Swansea Crown Court Judge Keith Thomas said he found it "inconceivable" that Sinclair had not read the piece, but had simply failed to correct it.

Sinclair's defence barrister, Matthew Paul said his client had left the Herald's headquarters in Milford Haven to travel abroad about half an hour before the report had been sent to him.

His deputy editor Jon Coles was called to give evidence, and said he had forwarded the report to Sinclair as it was not his job to check articles for legal compliances.

Prosecutor Craig Jones said he failed to believe Sinclair had not read it, partly because there was a banner on the front page highlighting the inside story.

That would mean Sinclair had "neglected to even check his own front page".

Closing the Ceredigion Herald was said to have cost £133,000

A statement read out in court from the victim said she had not returned to her home area since the publication for fear people knew what had happened to her.

"I hope the newspaper learns its lesson," she said.

The court heard Sinclair had already been convicted of identifying a youth offender in a court report in the Pembrokeshire Herald.

Judge Thomas said anonymity law was "there to protect those who need protection from publicity".