December 2012

Sex offender John Lyall back in the dock after flouting court order

A SEX offender has been told by Teesside’s top judge that he would be watched for the rest of his days.

John Illingworth Lyall – jailed for 14 years in 1992 for child sex offences including rape – was back in the dock for flouting court orders meant to safeguard the public.

Judge Simon Bourne-Arton QC told him: “I’m afraid… that your conviction in 1992 means that people will be looking for you and at you for the rest of your life.”

He admitted breaching notification requirements by repeated overnight stays at a girlfriend’s Middlesbrough home without telling police.

Lyall, 46, of Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough, also pleaded guilty to breaching a sexual offences prevention order by having contact with a child.

Prosecutor Harry Hadfield said Lyall never mentioned staying with a girlfriend in 21 visits by a detective assigned to monitor him.

The risk management detective found out about the relationship when he looked at Lyall’s phone, with his consent, and found a text saying: “Hiya darl. Looking forward to seeing you later.

It emerged that Lyall had told the woman he didn’t want any contact with children because of a custody case – an explanation which she thought didn’t ring true.

In 2009, Lyall was jailed for two years after he admitted 14 charges of failing to notify police of changes of address and travel arrangements. Thinking he was “cured”, he built a new life and evaded the system for over five years.

He embarked on relationships with women without telling them of his crimes, and moved to various addresses and took holidays abroad without telling police.

Rod Hunt, defending this week, said Lyall had breached the “rather difficult order” but no harm came to anyone.

He said there was “room for confusion” in the requirements on overnight stays, Lyall was anxious to avoid contact with children and the meeting with the child was accidental.

Judge Bourne-Arton told Lyall: “This is more than a technical breach. You were very alive to the requirements. You formed this relationship. You should have told the officer about it. It’s as plain and simple as that.”

Lyall was given a one-year prison sentence suspended for two years with supervision.