Sex offender who sparked manhunt is sent to prison

A CONVICTED sex offender who was arrested in Rochdale after his disappearance from a probation hostel sparked a manhunt has been jailed.

Francis Doherty fled the hostel after being released from prison and failed to inform officers where he was living, a court heard.

He was eventually found 12 days later in Smallbridge after police launched a public appeal to find him.

The 63-year-old, who was born in Bacup, and is subject to police notification requirements for life, pleaded guilty at Burnley Crown Court to two counts of being a sex offender and failing to comply with notification requirements. He was jailed for 12 months.

Emma Kehoe, prosecuting, told the court how Doherty was staying at the Highfield House probation hostel in Accrington but failed to return on October 15 last year and didn’t tell police where he was going to be living.

The court heard Doherty, who has previously been jailed for separate offences of rape and sexually assault, was eventually caught on Halifax Road on October 27.

Sentencing, Judge Jonathan Gibson said: “You know your responsibilities under the relevant legislation to report your details to the police.

“The provisions are there to be adhered to and the courts are here to, in so far as the court can, ensure that you do and to punish you properly if you don’t.”