County Durham sex offender jailed for failing to disclose conviction

COUNTY DURHAM SEX OFFENDER JAILED FOR FAILING TO DISCLOSE CONVICTION

A sex offender failed to reveal his past conviction to a new partner who lived with her two children.

Durham Crown Court, sitting at Teesside, heard that Michael Gill, 31, often stayed with this woman and sometimes had unsupervised contact with her children during their three-year relationship from 2022.

He went on a week-long camping holiday with them in Scotland.

The court was told that during this time he was being supervised by the Probation Service following his past offence, yet he did not disclose this relationship to them or his police monitoring officer.

These breaches were in violation of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order and notification requirements, passed after his 2020 conviction for attempting to meet a girl under 16 following grooming.

Gill received a three-year community order in September 2020 to work with the Probation Service.

When his partner later learned of his conviction, Gill lied, claiming he was set up by a previous partner, which she believed.

She was unaware that it meant he couldn't have contact with her children.

As a result, the children were removed from her care.

Gill, of Braeside, Edmondsley, admitted two breaches of the SHPO and three offences of failing to comply with notification requirements.

He was sentenced to 28 months in prison, serving up to half in custody.

He remains subject to registration requirements, and the SHPO was extended for another five years.

The court noted his blatant disregard for court orders, lying about his history, and violating restrictions, which led to the children being taken into care.

Despite no sexual contact with the children being suggested, his breaches resulted in their removal and significant family consequences.