A tour guide has been jailed for perverting the course of justice after destroying his computer, where he had been looking at bestiality porn, knowing police were on the way.

Alexander Scott Hunter, 53, admitted watching the porn but denied perverting the course of justice by destroying the Apple computer.

At a sentencing hearing at Lewes Crown Court, Judge Guy Anthony said “anyone who undermines the criminal justice system in this country by interfering with it” must face immediate custody.

The court heard Hunter had watched a video of a person committing a sex act with a dog.

Through police intelligence, Hunter’s behaviour was flagged up to police. The prosecution said that when officers went to search his home on December 22, 2016, he had deliberately destroyed his computer to stop them tracing what he had been looking at. He was then arrested.

Rosalind Crook, defending, told the court Hunter had only looked at the image after a book he bought referred to bestiality.

She said: “He has been a man who has worked throughout his life and been a law abiding member of the community. He had purchased a book off Amazon as he is entitled to do.

“He downloaded something to look at something referred to in that book, that was two years ago. He had simply forgotten about it.”

She added: “As a result of this conviction, he will lose his earnings of £30,000 a year.

“He has shown remorse for possession of extreme porn, pleading guilty at the first opportunity.”

The court heard Hunter had been married to his wife for six years and both were tour guides, working regularly in Ireland and Scotland.

Hunter, of Chapel Park Road, St Leonards, pleaded guilty to one count of possessing and extreme pornographic image portraying a sexual act with an animal. He denied committing an act with intent to pervert the course of justice.

He was previously given a caution in 2004 for possessing indecent images of children.

Judge Anthony said: “On almost overwhelming evidence this jury came to the inevitable conclusion what you did was perverting the course of justice.

“You knew police were coming around. We may never know what was on there.

“Anyone that undermines the criminal justice system and interferes with it must face an immediate custodial sentence.”

He was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment for perverting the course of justice and three months for having extreme porn, to run concurrently.

He must sign the sex offenders’ register for seven years.