A convicted sex offender moved in with a Denbigh woman without her knowing about his past.

Defendant Michael Eddy, 43, from Stockton on Tees, failed to tell police that he was living at her address and later failed to register himself as homeless when he lived rough.

Eddy, who had a previous conviction for breaching the notification requirements, was jailed for a year at Mold Crown Court on Thursday.

A judge said that he accepted that Eddy had not targeted the family and there had not been any contact with children when he was alone.

But it remained a serious matter.

Mr Recorder Gregg Bull QC said that Eddy formed a relationship with a woman who did not know of his past.

He had accompanied her to stay at an address where there were young children.

“I accept that your relationship was not in order to target any children in particular,” he said.

The judge said that he also accepted that the defendant did not have an interest in very young children.

But it was the second breach.

Eddy admitted three charges of failing to comply.

Prosecuting barrister Jade Tufail said that the defendant was in 2011 convicted of sexual activity with a girl aged 14.

He was a school bus driver and he touched the girl’s bottom over her clothing and tried to kiss her following an exchange of messages.

At that stage he was ordered to register with the police as a sex offender and in January 2014 a separate sexual harm prevention order was sought by the police.

It was granted until January 2019 which meant that the sex register requirements remained in place.

It was against that background that in August of last year he met a woman from Denbigh, they formed a relationship and the first charge related to December when he went with her to stay with her adult daughter who had three young children.

Thereafter he wanted to move in with her and she agreed that he could stay in February.

She lived with her adult son and daughter and a grand-daughter aged three but he did not register her address.

The prosecutor said it was not suggested that there had been any untoward activity during that period and his partner confirmed that he was never alone with children.

Eddy was bailed to his mother’s address in Stockton on Tees but failed to remain there and did not register with the police the fact that he was of no fixed abode.

Eddy, who had previous convictions for 25 offences, had a previous breach of the sex register and in 2013 had been jailed for 12 months.

Simon Killeen, defending, said he conceded that the court would be compelled to pass a prison sentence.

It was right that the court should remember that while all such offences were serious, the original offence was a long time ago in 2011.

In 2013 the sexual harm protection order was granted which extended the requirements.

His new partner did not know of the existence of the order which could be regarded as an aggravating feature.

“What he wanted to do, however inappropriately, was to continue that relationship and have come company in his life,” said Mr Killeen.

He had been bailed to his mother’s address in Stockton but when that was no longer available to him he lived rough for two days.

When he explained the situation to his solicitors he was advised to hand himself in to police and he immediately did so, which was why he appeared for sentence in custody.

Eddy had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity to three breaches of the sex register requirements.