A CONVICTED murderer has been handed another prison sentence after he breached a strict court order while living in Carlisle.

City magistrates heard this morning (Saturday) that James Duggan, now aged 39, was convicted in 2006 of a murder which he committed in Australia. Duggan was previously reported to have emigrated there from Liverpool as a child.

He reportedly strangled a teenager to death before leaving her half-naked in a field.

Duggan was handed a life sentence with a minimum term. But following his release and return to the UK he has continued to offend.

Early last year he was made subject to indefinite sex offender notification requirements after being convicted of flouting a sexual risk order (SRO). This SRO had been imposed in August 2022, following his return to the UK, because there was deemed to be a suspected “sexual motive” behind the murder.

Duggan breached the SRO and in August 2023 was handed a suspended prison sentence. The notification requirements to which he is subject mean he must keep police informed of his personal details — including his address — along with any changes to these. There are also restrictions placed on his online use.

“Mr Duggan is classed by police as a high risk sex offender,” prosecutor Peter Conroy told Carlisle magistrates this morning. “He was released from prison on June 6 this year.”

Duggan had been handed a three-month term of imprisonment for a non-dwelling burglary.

“He was residing in probation-approved premises in Carlisle, but then he went missing,” said Mr Conroy. “Given the risk he poses in the community a search was carried out.”

“On June 12 he failed to return to those premises for a 9pm curfew and he was reported missing. There were appeals on social media to get assistance from the public to find his whereabouts. On June 14 the defendant attended that approved premises where he was arrested.”

Duggan’s phone was taken from him and scrutinised. It emerged he had used what Mr Conroy called “online aliases” on four applications which he had failed to declare to police.

These were “Jamesshaks85” on Threads; “JimmyDHaks @haksdogd13” on Telegram; “Haks13” on Twitch, all between June 9 and 14 this year; and “James Haks (haksaw13” on Discord between September 13, 2023, and June 14.

When interviewed, Duggan said he didn’t think he had to notify police of these usernames, and said he hadn’t used the apps for some time.

Appearing in the dock wearing a retro 1980s Liverpool FC home shirt, Duggan pleaded guilty to four breaches of the notification requirements.

Defence solicitor Ant Wilson, mitigating, took issue with the prosecutor’s description of “online aliases”, saying that Duggan had used his own name.

Duggan had given police his phone. “They found some apps. He said they were the apps he was using. He doesn’t use them (any more) so, didn’t think they were relevant,” said Mr Wilson.

“He has done everything he can. He just forgot about the phone accounts.”

The lawyer did accept: “It is still a breach of this order. He should have notified (police) of them.”

Lead magistrate Karen Warwick concluded: “We do see this as a deliberate failure.”

Duggan, latterly of Lowther Street, Carlisle, was handed immediate prison sentences totalling 48 weeks.