Don’t let sex attacker change his name again
ATTACKER TRIED TO HIDE PAST
A SERIAL sex attacker branded a danger to women could face a bid to stop him changing his name after targeting another victim while living under a new identity.
Gregg Southers was jailed in 2009 under the name Greg Carnall for sexual assaults on four women at a hospital and in pub toilets – but changed his name after getting out of prison in a bid to hide his perverted past. A court heard he set up his own building firm but has gone on to commit offences of violence against women and started relationships under his assumed name.
In his latest offence, the 30-yearold broke into a woman’s home and lay in wait for her to come in then attacked and sexually assaulted her.
As he was jailed for five years at Newcastle Crown Court, prosecutors made an “unusual” application to have him banned from changing his name again under the terms of a sexual harm prevention order.
Prosecutor Robin Patton told the court Southers took on his new name after he was released from prison and added: “When he came out from that sentence, in order to disguise his offending from anyone who may have been media or social media savvy to find out about his past, he changed his name in order to prevent people from doing that.
“By changing his name to a name that doesn’t come up on Google for anything apart from the new business, he had allowed himself to form relationships with vulnerable women and placed them at risk.”
Mr Patton said such an order could prevent Southers from “going out on a Saturday night with a new name or going to the home of people as a residential builder and becoming involved with females at those houses or nightclubs”.
Mr Patton warned Southers could now “choose a new name to prevent them from finding out his past”.
Judge Paul Sloan QC said a separate hearing would be needed at magistrates’ court if prosecutors are to pursue the no name-change application, which Southers’ defence team objects to.
Southers, formerly from South Shields but now of Jones Street, Birtley, Gateshead, denied sexual assault on the woman, who thought he was “going to kill her” when he got into her home last summer, but was found guilty by a jury.
Judge Sloan told him: “You have a history of violence and sexual offending towards woman.
“This offending falls within that pattern, using violence and sexual offending to exert dominance and control over women.”
Judge Sloan said Southers poses a “high risk of committing further sexual offences.”
Southers, who also admitted an offence of witness intimidation, was jailed for five years, with a four-year extended licence period and lifelong registration as a sex offender.
Southers had been jailed for a total of three years in 2009 for attacks on a patient and a nurse at South Tyneside Hospital and on two women at a pub in South Shields, who he dragged into the toilets.
Following his release, he has been convicted of common assault, two offences of battery, failure to comply with notification requirements and harassment.
Jane Foley, defending, said Southers changed his name “for business purposes and for his family’s welfare”.
Miss Foley said Southers has sought professional help to deal with personal issues.