Man hit with sex order must tell police 'as soon as practicable' when he has new partner

Sex order: He must alert police when he is going to have sex with a new partner
PA
Chloe Chaplain22 September 2016
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A man who had to give 24-hours’ notice before having sex has been told he must alert police "as soon as reasonably practicable" when he begins a sexual relationship.

John O’Neill was previously given a sexual risk order (SRO) that forced him to alert police 24 hours before he has sex with a new partner.

But a judge has ruled that the obligation was disproportionate and amended the order to say that the single father of two was prohibited from "engaging in sexual activity with any female" unless he told police "of his intention as soon as reasonably practicable".

O’Neill, 45, from York, was cleared of rape at Teesside Crown Court last year, but was still considered to be "very dangerous" by the trial judge, who urged the authorities to take steps to protect women.

He had spoken to his GP and his psychiatric nurse about choking women unconscious, and needing partners to be scared "or I don't respond".

He also told the nurse that he had been thinking "a lot" about killing his partner and that, during sex, he needed women "to be scared or I don't respond".

The court hear that GP Dr Miriam Hodgson recorded Mr O'Neill's "sex life has become violent, has been seeking out increasingly extreme sexual experiences, biting, choking, cutting, burning".

The GP wrote: "Thinks he may have raped someone, it went further than she expected."

As a result of the evidence following the rape case, he was handed the SRO.

Mr O'Neill, who had appealed the SRO previously, said its conditions meant there was "not a chance" of him having a relationship with a woman.

After the hearing he said: "If people cannot make honest disclosures to their doctor without fear of being slapped with an SRO that can literally sever you from society, we are all in trouble.

"If you had told me this was possible in England, I wouldn't have believed you."

He said he intended to appeal against it again.

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