Sex offender jailed after keeping his past hidden from partner
CHILD ABUSER UNCOVERED
A PERVERT kept his sickening past a secret while on a day trip with a mother and her child – in breach of restrictions designed to keep youngsters safe.
David Young had served a 40-month prison sentence in 2013 for three offences of engaging in sexual activity with a child and two of assault.
But after starting a relationship with a mum from South Tyneside, he failed to disclose his sordid history.
Newcastle Crown Court heard the 32-year-old, who is on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life, went on a fishing and park trip with the mum and child last summer.
But before a second trip that had been arranged could take place, the woman found out the truth about his past and told police.
The mum said in a statement: “I am completely shocked after finding out about his past, especially as he had been in contact with my child.
“I was sick at finding out about it.
“I felt I was used by him so he could get access to my child.
“I also feel scared now as he knows where I live and work. I am
anxious he will try and find me if he’s released.”
Young, of Elliott Street, Blyth, Northumberland, admitted breach of a sexual harm prevention order. He also admitted breach of sex offender registration requirements by failing to disclose a change of address within the required time.
At the time of the offences he was on a suspended sentence for a previous breach of the sexual harm prevention order by talking to an underage girl.
Judge Tim Gittins sentenced Young to 28 months behind bars and said the mum was left “sickened”.
The judge told him: “You engaged in a relationship with a lady that was based on you not telling her the truth about your circumstances.
“Despite the clear prohibitions for you to be in contact with any children, male or female, by virtue of the sexual harm prevention order, you took her and her child on a fishing trip and planned another, but she became aware of the true position and your history.
“She was obviously deeply distressed, not least because of the fear of what you might have done towards her child.”
Steven Reed, defending, said Young was never left alone with and had not been targeting the child.
Mr Reed added: “He felt unable to tell her the truth. He was concerned if he told her the truth the relationship would end, and that’s what has happened.”
I was sick at finding out about it. I felt I was used by him so he could get access to my child
MUM
I’VE felt a lot of sympathy for Labour leader Keir Starmer since he took on the role of leader of the opposition.
It’s a difficult job at the best of times. While the Government makes decisions, all the opposition can do is talk.
There are rare occasions when the opposition manages to win a significant vote in the House of Commons, but this is only possible when the Government has a slim or non-existent majority, which isn’t the case today.
Sir Keir is also up against a difficult target.
When David Cameron was Prime Minister, there was a clear
dividing line between the parties.
His Government believed in cutting spendings – what became known as austerity – while Labour opposed the spending cuts.
But Boris Johnson likes spending money, and likes talking about spending money.
He boasts about recruiting more police officers and nurses, and investing in transport schemes.
Of course, there’s still plenty of room for debate about whether Mr Johnson is keeping his promises. But that discussion involves tacitly admitting that Mr Johnson’s policies are more or less right, if only (his critics might say) he was serious about putting them into effect.
It doesn’t have the same impact as a real disagreement about policy.
Many of Sir Keir’s critics on the Labour left claim he’s failed to capitalise on the Government’s mistakes during the coronavirus crisis.
They say the UK has the highest death rate in the world (not quite true – Belgium, Czechia, Solvenia and San Marino are worse, but that’s little comfort) and the country has suffered an unnecessarily harsh economic downturn.
And they say that this means Boris and his government should be wildly unpopular, if only Labour did a better job of exposing their mistakes.
The trouble with this analysis is that, while the last 12 months have been terrible, voters as a whole just don’t seem to have decided that they blame the Government. Maybe they should, but they don’t.
And the Government’s vaccination programme – the result of a far-sighted decision to take a gamble and order millions of vaccine doses before we knew whether they worked – has been a triumph.
So yes, it’s not easy doing Keir Starmer’s job. But I’m beginning to have my doubts. It’s been 11 months now, and – aside from being a nice guy and having an aura of competence – I’m not sure I could tell you what Keir Starmer stands for.