Homeless paedophile back behind bars for trying to headbutt and spit at Leeds officer

Homeless Mathew Frary was taken to the police headquarters at Elland Road after he persistently failed to update officers of his whereabouts.

He had been jailed in 2018 after he tried to meet a 14-year-old girl for sex, but was stung by an online paedophile hunter group. He was given 27 months behind bars, a 10-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) and put on the sex offender register for 10 years.

Under the terms, the 42-year-old must register weekly at the police station to record where he is living, even if he is homeless.

Leeds Crown Court heard that in March he failed to register for three weeks. He was arrested and taken to Elland Road, but became aggressive when he was told he would be strip searched.

He began shouting and spitting towards the custody officer, then lunged at him with a headbutt which luckily missed, prosecutor Lily Wildman told the court. He then refused to take a drugs test.

Appearing in court via video link from HMP Leeds, where he has been held on remand since early December, he admitted failing to comply with the sex offender register, assault of an emergency worker and refusing to provide a sample for a drugs test.

He has 38 previous convictions for 62 offences, including seven previous breaches of the sex offender register terms.

Mitigating, Verity Barnes said Frary had been homeless for around five years. She said: “He does not justify any of these offences, it was an unpleasant incident with the police and he accepts that.”

She said he had “aspirations” to address his drug addiction.

Judge Christopher Batty told Frary: “I accept it’s not always straightforward, but you are required to get to Elland Road police station.

“You have breached this order many times. You can’t spit at police officers, they have a difficult job to do.”

He handed Frary nine months’ jail.