Life-term sex offender told he cannot have laptop in jail

Glyn Kenyon, from Illingworth, Halifax, was already serving 16 life sentences for the depraved serial abuse of two girls when at the age of 42 in 2002 he received a further concurrent life sentence for attempting to murder a woman in a frenzied attack in 1997.

Described as one of the worst sex offenders since Fred West, he is currently serving his sentence in HMP Wakefield where last year the Governor turned down his request for an “Access to Justice” computer.

Kenyon sought a judicial review of the decision arguing there was so much material, particularly in relation to the sex offences, that he needed a laptop to organise it and that it would be neater and more convenient for the Court of Appeal if his submissions were typed rather than handwritten.

Matthew Stanbury representing Kenyon told the Administrative Court in Leeds yesterday that prisoners should be entitled to access to help them prepare further cases without having to explain why it was needed.

But Mr Justice Hickinbottom disagreed saying the Governor had acted correctly within the National Security Framework in Kenyon’s case. Access was not needed to ensure a fair trial under Article 6 of the Human Rights Act.

He said not only did Kenyon not have any ongoing proceedings he was unlikely to have any, particularly as an extended civil restraint order was made earlier this year because of other “meritless claims” made to courts about his sexual convictions.