In 2026, the Offender Database recorded that Michael James, then 57, of Frobisher Gardens, Daybrook, Nottingham, was jailed for 40 weeks for threatening a radio presenter and breaching a strict court order. On Tuesday, 17 February 2026, James appeared at Nottingham Crown Court for sentencing. The court reported that the defendant, who has a history of sexual offences dating back to 1993, had deleted electronic messages without police permission, violating the terms of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).
The investigation established that on 21 November 2025, officers visited James’s address following reports of a racially aggravated and offensive message sent to BBC Radio Nottingham. Nottinghamshire Police reported that the communication was directed at one of the station’s presenters and contained threats of death or serious harm. The prosecution reported that during his arrest, checks of his mobile phone revealed that he had deleted several WhatsApp messages sent to the radio station, a direct breach of a condition requiring him not to delete messages without express police consent.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that James was a repeat offender who had previously been jailed in April 2021 for outraging public decency at a bus stop and sending an explicit video to his probation officer. Nottingham Crown Court heard that upon his release from that term, he was placed under 11 strict monitoring conditions designed to manage his “entrenched” behaviour. The prosecution reported that the deletion of messages was a calculated attempt to hide the evidence of his threats against the BBC staff member.
The judge noted that James’s long criminal history, which includes sexual offences against children, made the breach of his SHPO particularly serious. For his actions in Daybrook, Nottingham, he pleaded guilty to sending a communication threatening death or serious harm and breaching a court order. The judge noted that the custodial sentence was necessary because the defendant had repeatedly shown a total disregard for the restrictions placed upon him to protect the public.
Sentence and Statutory Requirements
For his crimes in England, Michael James was handed:
- Custodial Sentence: 40 weeks in prison.
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements were maintained and updated.
- SHPO: Existing Sexual Harm Prevention Order with 11 strict conditions remains in effect.
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court following an investigation in Nottingham.
Monitoring and Public Protection
James is managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) by Nottinghamshire Police and the prison estate. Due to his history of “persistent and escalating” offending in Daybrook, Nottingham, and his prior convictions for offences against children, his management is subject to the highest level of oversight by the Public Protection Unit.
As a member of the Sex Offenders Register, James must comply with notification requirements regarding his residence in Frobisher Gardens, Daybrook, for the period specified by the law. Authorities state that his latest imprisonment serves as a warning that any attempt to circumvent digital monitoring—such as deleting messages—will result in immediate arrest. Any further breach of his registration conditions or his SHPO will lead to a swift return to Nottingham Crown Court.
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