MALDON SEX OFFENDER CAUGHT IN LIVERPOOL AFTER MUM TIP OFF
A CONVICTED paedophile who fled to Liverpool because he felt threatened by his neighbours was arrested after police received a tip-off from his mum.Peter Gilles, 38, has been subject to notification requirements since he was sentenced in 2011 for child sex offences, but he failed to report his address in Maldon to police in June as part of an annual obligation.
When a monitoring officer contacted his mother to ask where he was living, she said the two had fallen out before he “borrowed money from her and abandoned her address in Maldon”, Colchester Magistrates’ Court heard.
Gilles, who was tracked down after his mum told police he had gone to Liverpool to stay with friends, was sentenced to six months in prison.
Serena Berry, prosecuting, said: “This isn’t the first time the defendant has breached requirements.
He has got a poor compliance with court orders – had the police not done their due diligence and conducted checks at the address, this would have gone on for far longer.
“The defendant effectively left his address on June 15 but evidence from the defendant’s mum suggests he had been away for a far longer period than that.” Gilles, who gave his partner’s address of Pinfold Court, Stourport, Worcestershire, admitted two counts of failing to comply with notification requirements for sex offenders.
Katie O’Connor, mitigating, said Gilles had left his address because of the threat of violence from neighbours.
She said: “He had lived in Maldon for five years; however, in this period of time there were neighbours who informed other people that Mr Gilles was a grass.
These people did not take kindly to this and attended his property and attempted to stab him in the face.
Threats were made against his life and he was in fear of his life – he felt he had no avenue out of this but to move.
Out of fear, he was not thinking clearly.” Jailing the defendant, bench chair Susan Hill said: "We considered suspending the sentence; however, we note your poor compliance with court orders.
We don’t believe there can be a realistic prospect of rehabilitation." Gilles was also ordered to pay £85 in costs and a £154 surcharge.
