John Lightfoot 53

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A convicted child sex offender who finds it "impossible to tell the truth" posed as a paramedic to accompany a sick woman to hospital, leaving her "terrified" when his real identity emerged. John Lightfoot, 52, broke a court order when he pretended to be a medic called Paul, a court heard.

He took her to seek medical help and escorted her home in a taxi. The criminal even lied to a priest and repeated claims he was Paul when he was spotted with the woman.

The incident on November 12 last year left the woman, who was a victim of domestic violence, feeling 'terrified', StokeonTrentLive report ed. Lightfoot was jailed for two-and-a-half years after magistrates convicted him of failing to comply with notification requirements of the sex offenders' register.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard Lightfoot - who was convicted of a child sexual assault in 2013 - was previously handed a two-year suspended sentence for breaching the terms of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) after going by the name of Jay Maddox without informing the police.

Despite registering that name with officials, Lightfoot was caught out again when he used the alias 'Paul' at the pub in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent. Mark Brookes, prosecuting, said: "A domestic violence victim was in the pub and he introduced himself as a paramedic called Paul.

"She became unwell and was taken to hospital. The defendant went with her and returned from the hospital to her address in a taxi.

"She resides in a property run by a charity. He was seen telling a priest if she came back to his house he would look after her. He was trying to manipulate her.

"On December 3, 2021, officers attended the defendants home and recovered documents concerning a matter of domestic violence. He told officers he did not know who she was.

"In February he was arrested at his address." In a statement read to the court, the victim said: "He made me feel uncomfortable in the taxi. I felt anxious and terrified of him and I dont want any contact with him."

Stuart Muldoon, mitigating, said: "He knows he is going to go to custody and his concern is his mother who is 92-years-old. She has suffered a stroke and is in the Royal Stoke.

"He has been her carer and will be on his release. His concern is that she may no longer be around." Sentencing, Judge David Fletcher told Lightfoot: "You are a man who simply finds lying a very easy thing to do. You find it impossible to tell the truth.

"This offence is extremely worrying and the victim was clearly vulnerable. You lied to her. You repeated that to a priest when you went back to where she was living. This is a deliberate failure to comply with requirements."

Lightfoot, of Fielding Street, Stoke, was also handed a restraining order and will remain on a sexual harm prevention order.