MICHAEL PRESTON BENSHAM AND SOUTH SHIELDS SERIAL SEX OFFENDER SENTENCED TO 18 YEARS

In a case that has spanned over three decades, Michael Khannan, also known as Michael Preston, has been sentenced to a lengthy prison term of 18 years for a series of heinous sexual offenses. The conviction follows a detailed investigation and multiple court proceedings that revealed a disturbing pattern of predatory behavior dating back to the 1970s.

Khannan, who has a notorious history of sexual misconduct, is currently serving a nine-year sentence for a separate attack that occurred in Peterlee, County Durham, in 1978. His criminal record is extensive, including convictions for indecent assaults, attempted rape, and gross indecency with minors. The latest sentencing was handed down at Newcastle Crown Court in January, where Khannan was found guilty of multiple indecent assaults committed against two schoolgirls in South Shields during the 1990s.

The court also heard evidence linking Khannan to an unsolved attack from 1977, when he attempted to rape a woman walking in Tanfield Lea, County Durham. During that assault, Khannan dragged the victim to an isolated area, threatened her with a knife, and warned her, “Do as I say because I’ve got a knife here, and if I have to I will use it.” The case remained unresolved for over 30 years until DNA evidence finally identified Khannan as the perpetrator, providing crucial links to his long history of sexual violence.

Judge Paul Sloan QC addressed the court, emphasizing the lasting impact of Khannan’s crimes on his victims. He stated that all three victims involved in the recent convictions continue to suffer emotional and psychological trauma from their ordeals. As part of his sentence, Khannan is required to adhere to a lifelong sexual offences prevention order and must register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life.

During the sentencing, the judge recounted the details of the 1977 attack, describing the victim’s terror and ongoing trauma. “Throughout the ordeal she was absolutely terrified, fearing she would indeed be killed. It is clear from her statement, the trauma of that night has remained with her throughout,” Judge Sloan remarked.

Khannan’s defense attorney, Mark Cotter, attempted to shed light on his client’s complex psychological state, asserting that Khannan has never fully revealed the reasons behind his criminal behavior. Cotter argued, “Although the offences are monstrous, he is not in fact a monster, he’s a human being and capable of normal human emotion.”

Interestingly, Khannan once sent a letter of apology to Prince Charles after his past was exposed by a national newspaper. The incident occurred in 1986 when Khannan, then aged 34, met the Prince during a visit to the Tedco Enterprise Centre in Eldon Street, South Shields. At that time, Khannan had been released from prison after serving just over half of a six-year sentence for rape and two indecent assaults committed in 1973. He had changed his surname to Preston and was running a shed-making business.

In his letter to Prince Charles, Khannan expressed remorse for any embarrassment caused by the media coverage, claiming he was a reformed man and had been “properly punished” with his sentence. This gesture was part of his attempt to rehabilitate his image after a long history of sexual offenses, including a 1972 incident where he forced a 14-year-old girl onto a railway embankment and indecently assaulted her, and subsequent attacks on other young women and girls in South Shields.

His criminal record also includes convictions for attempted rape, molestation, and gross indecency with a child. Notably, in 2000, he was sentenced to three years in prison for molesting a nine-year-old girl while giving her piano lessons in his home. Khannan’s pattern of offending persisted over the years, with multiple court appearances for burglary, dishonesty, and other sexual offenses, demonstrating a persistent propensity for such crimes.

Most recently, in February 2010, Khannan, working as a club singer under the alias Simon Preston, was convicted of a brutal sex attack on a 19-year-old woman in Peterlee in 1978. The attack was initially unlinked to his past until DNA evidence led to his arrest and subsequent conviction. During the trial, Khannan denied the charges, attempting to claim that the DNA evidence could only have come from an identical twin brother, a claim rejected by the jury. Judge David Bryant sentenced him to life imprisonment with a minimum term of seven years before parole eligibility, citing the ongoing trauma experienced by his victim, now aged 51.

Khannan’s criminal history is marked by a disturbing pattern of sexual violence, with allegations spanning from the early 1970s through the 1990s and into the 2000s. His case underscores the importance of forensic evidence in bringing long-standing offenders to justice and highlights the devastating impact of such crimes on victims and their families. His sentencing serves as a stark reminder of the dangers posed by repeat offenders and the necessity of lifelong monitoring for those convicted of sexual offenses.