Michael Gill, a 31-year-old resident of Braeside in Edmondsley near Chester-le-Street, County Durham, was sentenced at Durham Crown Court, sitting at Teesside, for multiple breaches of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and sex offender notification requirements. These breaches stemmed from his failure to disclose a three-year relationship with a woman who had two young children, during which he frequently stayed at her home and had unsupervised contact with the children.
Gill had been convicted in September 2020 for attempting to meet a girl under 16 following grooming, an offence that led to the imposition of the SHPO and ongoing notification obligations. As part of his sentence at that time, he received a three-year community order requiring supervision by the Probation Service. Despite these restrictions, Gill entered into a relationship in 2022 with a woman he met on Facebook, without informing his police monitoring officer or probation supervisor. The court heard that he often stayed overnight at her address, and at one point, he accompanied the family on a week-long camping holiday in Scotland, where he had unsupervised access to the children.
Prosecutor Martin Towers outlined how Gill deceived his partner about his criminal history, claiming he had been 'set up' by a previous partner. The woman, unaware of the full implications of his conviction, allowed him into her family life. When the truth emerged, social services intervened, and the two girls were removed from her permanent care. The victim expressed profound regret in a statement read to the court, describing herself as 'totally gullible' for believing Gill's lies about his identity, including his name, date of birth, and background. She stated, 'I’m angry he took advantage of my trusting nature. He groomed me to get closer to my family.'
In mitigation, defence barrister Albany Kidd argued that Gill did not enter the relationship with the intent to access the children, noting that he only learned of them sometime after connecting online. Kidd emphasised that there was no evidence of any abuse occurring and that Gill had misunderstood the notification terms. She added that Gill, a software engineer working from home, apologised for the impact on the family and had not pursued another relationship since. However, Judge Nathan Adams rejected these claims, describing Gill's actions as a 'flagrant disregard' for court orders. The judge noted, 'When confronted you lied about your history and previous convictions. She was vulnerable and you convinced her these were lies of an ex-partner. It’s right to say there’s been no suggestion you had any sexual contact with either child, but that’s not the point. There were court orders in place and you flagrantly ignored them.'
Gill admitted to two breaches of the SHPO and three counts of failing to comply with notification requirements. On 19 September 2024, he was sentenced to 28 months in prison, of which he would serve up to half in custody. The SHPO was extended for a further five years, and he remains subject to sex offender registration requirements. The case was reported by The Northern Echo, with details emerging from court proceedings at Durham Crown Court.