Man claims alter ego made him take pictures (From Warrington Guardian)

Man claims alter ego made him take pictures

A MAN caught taking indecent pictures of young girls during a Warrington Wolves away game claimed the alter ego of his split personality made him do it.

Alan Joseph Schofield, 63, admitted he had taken one indecent image and had attempted to take another two at the Willows rugby ground in August this year.

But Schofield claimed, during a hearing at when he appeared at Salford Magistrates' Court, that he had a split personality and that it was the "other person inside" who had taken the pictures for sexual gratification.

Schofield, from Romiley in Stockport, has already been ordered to sign the Sex Offenders' Register but will be sentenced later this month after District Judge John Finestein has fully reviewed the evidence.

The court heard that on Sunday, August 29, Schofield was in the stands at the Salford v Warrington game when he was spotted taking pictures of children.

Pam Johal, prosecuting, said:

"A witness became suspicious that he was acting indecently with a group of children who were playing.

"They saw him take a camera from his pocket and take a photograph."

She said the camera had been held at waist height and was directed towards the girls' "bare legs and short skirt", and added: "He was careful nobody saw him."

A club steward followed him and alerted a police officer, at which point the defendant tried to take the film out of the camera.

It was only in a second interview in October that Schofield admitted the photograph may have been inappropriate, and said he had a split personality.

He claimed to have missed his children growing up and felt like he was taking pictures of them, but that the second person might have wanted to take them for sexual purposes.

He will reappear at Salford Magistrates on Thursday for sentencing.