Maurice Ferriter

Maurice Ferriter, a 49-year-old man from Flintshire, has been sentenced to one year in prison for failing to comply with his lifelong sex offender registration requirements. This marks his ninth such breach, stemming from a long history of non-compliance following his original conviction for sexual assault.

The court heard that Ferriter was previously jailed for three and a half years in 2012 after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a barmaid at a pub in Flintshire. Upon his release, he was placed on the sex offenders' register for life, obliging him to notify police of his whereabouts weekly. However, Ferriter repeatedly failed to adhere to these conditions over the subsequent seven years, including a prior 24-week sentence in April 2021 for an identical offence, from which he was released halfway in August 2021.

Following his 2021 release, Ferriter signed on at a police station in Plymouth for two weeks but then absconded, remaining at large for three months until his arrest in Exeter in October 2021. At the time, he was homeless and living rough on the streets, citing fears for his safety as the reason for not registering. His defence, represented by Mr Jason Beal, argued that Ferriter believed attending the Exeter police station would expose the nature of his convictions to other street sleepers, potentially leading to attacks by vigilantes.

• Ferriter admitted the breach at Exeter Crown Court.
• Recorder Mr Christopher Quinlan, QC, imposed the one-year custodial sentence.
• The case highlights ongoing challenges in monitoring sex offenders, particularly those who are homeless.

North Wales Police, responsible for the original jurisdiction in Flintshire, emphasise the importance of the registration scheme to protect the public by keeping track of convicted sex offenders. Ferriter has been remanded in custody since his October arrest. This sentencing occurred in March 2022, as reported by The Leader.