Banned teacher sentenced for breaching court order

A former freelance music teacher who was banned from the profession after downloading indecent images of children has been given another suspended jail sentence for breaching his sexual harm prevention order.

Donal Donnelly, 61, was given a suspended eight-month jail sentence at York Crown Court in December 2023 after being caught with more than 2,000 indecent images.

He was also told to comply with a five-year order, but in April 2025 a routine visit found he was using private browsing on his phone and its internet history was being deleted.

Donnelly was sentenced at Bradford Crown Court on Tuesday to six months in jail, suspended for 18 months, and handed a further harm prevention order.

Donnelly, of the Heaton area of Bradford, was banned from teaching for life after a Teaching Regulation Agency hearing in 2025.

He admitted to police that he had deleted his internet history because he was embarrassed about viewing adult pornography.

The case against Donnelly did not come to court until August when he pleaded guilty to magistrates to two breaches of the order, which Recorder Ayesha Smart said was in place to protect the public, particularly children.

She said it was also there so authorities could monitor Donnelly's internet use.

Smart accepted Donnelly had committed the offences out of embarrassment, but said he had deliberately breached a court order.

He was told the appropriate sentence was six months in prison, but current sentencing legislation means all sentences under 12 months should be suspended unless there are exceptional circumstances.

Donnelly was given a suspended sentence and another sexual harm prevention order for five years.

He was also told he must comply with 30 days rehabilitation for breaching the order.

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