A former Sheriff of Canterbury is back behind bars - branded a pervert outlaw.

Ex-Tory councillor Martin Fisher admitted breaching orders made in the courts where he used to sit as a dignitary.

Now the 64-year-old convicted sex offender has been jailed for 28 months and told by a judge: "You have no regard for the law. You think you know better. You have shown arrogant disdain for the orders of this court and for the law."

Fisher, of Queens Road, Whitstable, was jailed in 2011 for sexually assaulting a child and downloading illegal images of children.

He was also told that for 10 years his computer would be checked regularly by police to ensure they could see what internet sites he had been accessing.

Yet three times in just seven months, officers discovered he had secretly been viewing illicit images of naked children – including a baby and another child involved in bondage.

Prosecutor Donna East told Canterbury Crown Court that each time police seized Fisher's computer for forensic examination, the former insurance boss just bought another one and carried on.

At his first trial, he claimed: "Some people like looking at Picasso... I like pictures of children with no clothes on."

But Judge Adele Williams dismissed his "artistic" claims and told him: "You are deluding yourself... you have a perverted interest in sex with children.

"And you persisted in doing this knowing full well you were in breach of your Sexual Offences Prevention Order and you were in breach of the law."

Fisher looked towards the public gallery as the judge told him he failed to understand "the very great mischief" of downloading illegal images.

She told him: "These images are of real children being exploited, being subjected to real sexual acts. And while there are people like you prepared to download such images this evil trade will continue."

Fisher had admitted breaching his SOPO and accessing images - at the lowest level one, but two at levels three and the highest level five.

Ms East said in June 2013 two officers went to his home to check Fisher's computer.

But as they waited to be allowed in, Fisher deleted the computer's record of what sites he had accessed and then denied knowing he was under any court restrictions.

He was bailed while experts examined the computer, later discovering 21 illegal images.

The prosecutor said police returned in September last year and Fisher admitted buying himself another computer that revealed another 20 images under examination.

In January this year, police again arrived at his home unannounced and found yet another computer containing 10 more images.

Fisher tried to claim he had deleted the computers' histories because he feared his banking details would be accessed.

The former sheriff also claimed he was searching sites because he was planning to go on a naturist holiday – but could not explain why all the pictures were of naked children.

Oliver Saxby QC, defending, pleaded for a non-custodial sentence so Fisher could tackle his sex problems.

He said that an intensive sex offenders' course offered a "real chance of him sorting himself out".

Mr Saxby added: "He has a problem. He has a sexual attraction towards children, although in the past he has been in denial about his feelings. He now wants to make changes to his life."

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