A convicted sex offender expressed his shock when he was caught by police after fleeing over 250 miles, telling the force ‘I can’t believe you’ve got me’ during his arrest.
Steve Walsh, 36, claimed he had fled to Scotland after being under attack from ‘vigilantes’ in Merseyside, of which one assault was said to have left him in intensive care.
Walsh had been previously locked up for seven years in November 2016 as he pleaded guilty to a modern slavery offence, two counts of sexual assault, assault with intent to resist arrest and possession of prohibited items in prison.
He signed the sex offenders’ register and was handed a sexual harm prevention order.
The order required him to notify police of his address every seven days and he had to let them know when he was staying away from the area.
But Liverpool Crown Court heard on Friday (March 22) that Walsh last registered his home on December 29, 2023, and was then out of contact with the force for two months.
Walsh was found in Fife on February 22 this year, in a home where it was clear that there were children who were occupants of the address – although they were not present at the time of his arrest, said prosecutor Stuart Mills.
Walsh had not notified the police of is travel to Scotland or that he was staying in a property where children were living.
As he was arrested, Walsh said: ‘I was nearly gone. I can’t believe you’ve got me here.’
The defendant appeared via video link to HMP Altcourse, and was jailed for a year for breaching a sexual harm prevention order and failing to comply with notification requirements.
Recorder Kendrick Horne said during sentencing: ‘As a result of those allegations you sustained some injuries at the hands of others, which caused you to be admitted to hospital and caused you to fear for your own safety.
‘You moved to Scotland and lost contact with the police.
‘For two months, you did not tell them where you were. When you were found, you were found with your bags packed and a large amount of cash – evidently with the intention of moving on.
‘As a result, agencies were unable to assess the risk you posed. It was two months where you went to ground with a number of attempts to avoid detection, including moving to Scotland and having a large amount of cash so that you could live untraceably.
‘I accept that you acted in fear. Although there may have been good reason for you to move outside of the Merseyside area, that is not a reason for moving to Scotland and then not telling the police where you were.’
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