Child abuser back in court after victim reads Sunderland Echo report

Maurice McShane was jailed for more than six years earlier this year, but the latest offences came to light after the victim was saw a report about McShane in the Sunderland Echo, Teesside Crown Court heard.

She suffered abuse as a child when McShane, 54, was a young teenager himself.

The victim said she felt guilty for not coming forward earlier, but Judge Deborah Sherwin told her she had performed a public service because those tasked with monitoring McShane after his release now have a fuller picture of the time span of his offending.

The victim said she still sleeps with a teddy bear ‘for protection’ and still cries herself to sleep most nights.

Her marriage failed due to ‘trust issues’, the court heard.

The victim added: “I’m just glad it’s now all over, and I hope I can move forward with my life.

“I’d like to thank everyone, including the police and the CPS, for believing me.

“I want to say to any other victims that it’s never too late to come forward.”

Prosecutor Shaun Dodds told the court: “The victim confided in a friend a few years later, and when she was 19 she told her mother, but did not want to go to the police at that time.

“It was when she saw the front page of the Sunderland Echo in relation to McShane’s later offences that she decided to report what he had done to her.”

Before McShane pleaded guilty, Paul Currer, defending, asked Judge Sherwin for an indication of the likely sentence should McShane plead guilty.

Judge Sherwin said any sentence would be served at the same time as McShane’s current jail term.

McShane, 54, formerly of Ambleside Avenue, Seaham, admitted three offences of indecent assault.

In mitigation, Mr Currer said: “There is very little I wish to say given the previous indication of sentence.

“This is Mr McShane’s first taste of custody and I can tell the court he is doing his best to adapt to it, and to prepare for his eventual release and rehabilitation.”

Judge Sherwin jailed McShane for 10 months, to run concurrently with his current sentence.

The judge said: “I have spoken to the judge who passed the six-year sentence to establish if it would have been any longer had these offences being dealt with at the same time.

“These offences merit prison, but I have to bear in mind the sentence the defendant is serving, and the principle of totality.”

The court heard McShane is already subject to sex offender registration requirements, and a lifelong order banning him from having any unsupervised contact with children.