In a country where questionable criminal actions against journalists have become commonplace the conviction and fine for Newcastle Journal editor Brian Aitken remains shocking.

He today has a criminal conviction for breaching Section 39 of the Children and Young Persons Act – something which will come up on CRB checks when he applies for future jobs and which could stop him travelling to the USA or Australia or sitting on the board of a charity.

He has also been personally fined £1,600 for what appears to be a technical breach of a court order which caused no harm and was done for the best of motives.