A SPECIAL constable from Didcot caught with sexual images of corpses and animals initially tried to claim he had never looked at them.

David Parkin, of Washford Glen, was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court on Thursday after pleading guilty to three counts of having extreme pornography on his mobile phone.

The electronic device was seized in June last year by police after searching the 30-year-old’s home.

ALSO READ: Driver almost three times alcohol limit led police on chase through Cowley

Nigel Ogborne, prosecuting, described to the court details of the graphic images and videos found which featured men and women having sex with a chicken, dog and other animals.

There were also sexual images on Parkin's phone involving a dead body.

He said when Parkin was questioned at first he told police 'I don't watch these sorts of things' but this was contradicted by a message he had made in a Whatsapp group about 'Kentucky fried chicken' in relation to one of the images.

Mr Ogborne added: "He stated he believed he obtained these on his phone from chat groups."

ALSO READ: Woman groped while she stood at bus stop

The Whatsapp groups were called ‘Big Adam’s Villa’ and ‘Callum’s Stag’, with the prosecutor saying Parkin was a member of the first between September 29, 2016 and June 19, 2018.

The second he was a member of between January 29, 2017 and June 18, 2018.

Mr Ogborne added: "[Parkin] was responsible for actually sending one of these extreme photographs."

Gordana Turudija-Austin, in mitigation, said Parkin had fully cooperated with police and had now 'lost his good character' and it was going to have an impact on his future career.

ALSO READ: The latest results from court

She admitted the images were ‘deeply unpleasant’ and ‘disturbing’ and said 'with hindsight' her client could have deleted the groups but stressed he had not 'actively searched' for the images and none had been found on his laptop or separately saved on the mobile.

She said: "He wasn't aware these kind of images were illegal."

The barrister added Parkin, who works as a business manager for Alere Toxicology, had a breakdown towards the end of last year and was now being treated for depression and anxiety as well as receiving counselling.

ALSO READ: Police want to speak to this man after £700 was stolen from 70-year-old woman

The court heard Parkin was also suspended from his part-time volunteer role as a special constable, which he had done for around two years, following the charges.

Judge Ian Pringle said he found it 'staggering' that someone who served as a special constable would not be aware of the law.

He sentenced Parkin to a two-year community order, which includes a 10-day rehabilitation course.

The 30-year-old was also ordered to complete 120 hours of unpaid work within one year and pay £480 in court costs and a victim surcharge.

The judge added: "Make sure this is the last time and the only time you are in court."