Description
Oliver Fox, who has to inform officers of a change of address within 72 hours as part of being on the Sex Offenders' Register, is now facing a possible prison sentence.
A sex offender is facing jail after he failed to inform police of his whereabouts for three days after leaving hospital.
Oliver Fox, who appeared on Chroniclelive earlier this month for urinating in front of disgusted patients in the A and E waiting room at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary, was back in the dock less that four weeks later after he breached the requirements of being on the Sex Offenders' Register.
A court heard that the 45-year-old voluntarily admitted himself to hospital on October 12 but then disappeared without telling anyone where he was going. Under the rules of the Sex Offenders' Register, he must inform police within three days of a change of address or if he becomes homeless.
When staff at the hospital did finally get an answer on Fox's mobile, it was a stranger who'd just bought the device from him in the street, prosecutors said. Fox, formerly of Salters Road, in Gosforth, but now of no fixed abode, appeared in the dock in custody at South East Northumberland Magistrates' Court to plead guilty to failing to comply with notification requirements of the Sex Offenders' Register.
James Long, prosecuting, said Fox admitted himself into hospital on October 12 but disappeared on October 22. Mr Long continued: "What's happened is, he's gone out on unescorted leave on a particular day and never returned. Staff try and phone him.
"There's some suggestion he's fallen off the wagon. They repeatedly try and phone him. Someone else eventually answers the phone and says they have just bought it off a homeless man, who they thought was on drugs. The defendant failed to notify the police of his new address. Having left the hospital on October 22, he had until October 25 to do so and he did not."
The court heard that Fox, who has one previous breach of the register on his record from July this year, was on a conditional discharge at the time, which was given earlier this month for the urinating in the hospital.
Steve Chambers, defending, said, until recently, Fox hadn't offended since 2003. He added: "His mental health is poor. When he's homeless, which he usually is, he has to tell the police every seven days that he's homeless. He was then accommodated at the hospital but left and became homeless again. He's surrendered straight away when he's realised his mistake."
District Judge Kate Meek adjourned the case for the preparation of a pre-sentence report. She added: "You are now on bail, which means you have a duty to come back here on November 17 for sentence."