Blackburn sex offence woman fails home check (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Blackburn sex offence woman fails home check

10:27am Tuesday 2nd October 2012 in News

POLICE checking the whereabouts of a sex offender were told she hadn’t lived at her registered address for three weeks.

Blackburn magistrates heard Ann-Marie Ward had moved out following the break-down of her relationship but claimed it had only been a matter of days rather than weeks.

Ward, 56, of Carlinghurst Road, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to failing to comply with requirements of the sex offender register. She was remanded on bail for the preparation of a pre-sentence report.

The court heard Ward had been convicted of an offence of indecent assault on another woman in 2008 and placed on the register for five years. She had been cautioned for two previous breaches and prosecuted for another.

Jonathan Taylor, defending, said the original offence was an allegation that Ward had touched another woman’s breasts which had gone to trial at the Crown Court.

“She still maintains her innocence,” said Mr Taylor. “She was going to tell the police she had moved but accepts she was late.”