Convicted Sex Offender Jailed for Failing to Register

A convicted sex offender who deliberately avoided registering his address with the police has been sentenced to prison. David Schofield, 47, from Hull, was found guilty of breaching his notification requirements as a sex offender and was told by the judge that he had "come to the end of the road" for repeatedly failing to comply.

Schofield, who has a history of drug abuse and homelessness, was originally convicted of sexual assault in January 2020 and ordered to register as a sex offender for seven years. Despite being warned about the consequences of failing to register, he repeatedly ignored his legal obligations.

In July 2022, Schofield was given a 24-week suspended prison sentence for failing to comply with notification requirements. However, he continued to disregard the law and did not provide his address to the police for a significant period.

The court heard that Schofield had been assessed as posing a medium risk of committing further sexual offenses. This was his fifth appearance in court for failing to comply with his notification requirements.

During his trial, Schofield's lawyer argued that his client's drug addiction and homelessness contributed to his inability to comply. However, the judge, Recorder David Brooke KC, stated that Schofield's actions were deliberate and that he had "come to the end of the road in terms of other alternatives."

Schofield was sentenced to 54 weeks in prison for breaching his notification requirements and for the earlier offenses of assault and criminal damage.