'Receive what he wants' - South Tyneside rapist sent back to jail after latest offence

Homeless Stanley Riches, 51, was caged for 26 weeks for his deliberate failure to inform officers he was sleeping rough.

Riches, previously of Greenlands, Hedworth, Jarrow, was jailed for nine years at Newcastle Crown Court in 2003 for the sex attack.

He was put on the sex offenders register and made subject for life to the notification requirements of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

The requirements compel him to inform police every seven days of his whereabouts and to let them know if he does not have a roof over his head.

But prosecutor Carolyn Craggs said Riches had not kept them up to date by Sunday, June 2, days after his latest release from prison.

Earlier this year he was jailed for a similar crime and in total has committed 10 breaches of the order.

One, in December 2021, saw him imprisoned for 24 weeks.

Riches appeared in the dock at South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court to admit a charge of breaching the notification requirements.

Ms Craggs said: “The defendant is a registered sex offender and is subject to the notification requirements.

“He was jailed for nine years for rape in 2003. He is subject to the sex offenders register for an indefinite period.

“One requirement was to notify of the no fixed abode, and to register every seven days. This was deliberate non-compliance.

“There are 10 failures to comply with the notification requirements.”

John Williams, defending, told the hearing: “He took the decision not to register and says that he was released from prison with no help at all.

“He was put back onto the streets which at his age is hard to cope with. I suggest he’s going to receive what he wants.”

District Judge Zoe Passfield also ordered Riches to pay a £154 victim surcharge.