A CONVICTED sex offender with a long history of court order breaches went “off the grid” for a month after being released from custody.

Mark King, now 49, was made subject to sex offender registration requirements by a judge in 2012. That was part of his punishment for an offence of exposure.

It means upon his release from any prison sentence, until February, 2022, King must declare a fixed address; or, if homeless, must notify police of that fact within a specified time.

But in recent years, homeless King has committed a host of breaches in different areas of the UK, and received jail terms which have increased in length.

In 2018, King was jailed for a breach which came to light after he was found sleeping rough in a Penrith park.

And he was back at Carlisle Crown Court today (Tuesday) for a breach which occurred after he went “off the grid” during October.

“He was released from police custody in relation to a seven-day remand for theft and breach of order,” said prosecutor Tim Evans. “He was given £50. He indicated he was going to travel to Birmingham. He didn’t in fact get there.

"In effect he simply slipped off the radar until the end of October when he was arrested.”

King admitted flouting notification requirements and was sentenced by Judge Simon Medland QC, who noted it was his 12th such breach.

“Time and time and time again,” said the judge, “he has failed to notify; failed to keep in touch; failed to do what he has to do.”

Mr Evans said: “It seems he just travels around the country, not paying for his travel, not registering where he lives.”

Mark Shepherd, defending, spoke of a “vagueness, lack of precision, lack of strategic planning” by King who, he suggested, had become “institutionalised” while behind bars.

“He lives on the fringes of society rather than in it,” he added.

Judge Medland jailed King for 30 months, seeing “no alternative” to a lengthy prison term.

“It just doesn’t seem to get through to you that the courts must take this seriously,” said the judge.