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Killer Tabak Admits Having Indecent Child Images

Killer Tabak Admits Having Indecent Child Images

The man who murdered Bristol landscape architect Joanna Yeates in 2010 has admitted possessing indecent images of children.

Dutch engineer Vincent Tabak, who was caught after a four-week investigation following the disappearance of his 25-year-old neighbour, was appearing at Bristol Crown Court.

The 37-year-old pleaded guilty to four charges relating to the possession of 145 images, six of which were regarded as the most serious category.

They were kept on his Dell laptop between January 2009 and 2011, according to prosecutors.

Tabak strangled Miss Yeates, whose boyfriend was away for the weekend, for sexual thrills on 17 December, 2010.

Her partially-clothed body was left on a snowy verge in Failand, near Bristol, where it was discovered by walkers on Christmas morning.

It later emerged that Tabak carried out the killing after becoming obsessed with violent sex and pornography, with explicit videos of blonde women being throttled found on his laptop.

Detectives combing Tabak's home during the murder investigation also discovered the images of children stored on his laptop.

Opening the case for the prosecution, David Bartlett said the majority of images related to two teenage girls of "relative maturity".

"But some of the most serious category are not, they are of pre-pubescent girls," he added.

The court heard Tabak's former girlfriend was interviewed and said the engineer, who she described as being "very good" at computers, would use his laptop while sitting in his lounge.

"He did say to her on one occasion that he had a lot of pornographic material on the computer but got rid of it before they moved in together," Mr Bartlett added.

The judge jailed Tabak for 10 months, which will be served from Monday - meaning there will be no increase to his life sentence.

Tabak's QC Dean Armstrong had attempted to get the case thrown out, saying his client could not receive a fair trial due to his notoriety and the portrayal of him during the two-part ITV drama The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies.

But Judge Neil Ford QC, the Recorder of Bristol, rejected the application.

On passing sentence, Judge Ford told Tabak he would remain on the Sex Offenders' Register for 10 years and banned him from working with children or young people.

Avon and Somerset Police temporary assistant chief constable Julian Moss said it was "crucial" Tabak was brought to justice for possessing the images.

"Tabak is now a convicted sex offender and this means an extensive range of protective measures can now be put in place to manage his criminal behaviour and protect those at risk," he said.