A PAEDOPHILE was snared when his knowing wife forced him to confess to her friend the crimes he had committed a decade earlier.

Darlington man Mick Lawson is starting a prison sentence of more than ten years after his perverted past caught up with him.

The 62-year-old groomed and abused a schoolgirl and was told by a judge: "She has been deeply affected by what you did to her."

Lawson's wife knew about the abuse but never went to the police about it, prosecutor Ian West told Teesside Crown Court.

It was not until she had been drinking with friend Leanne Beck at the couple's home that the secret emerged in December 2014.

She had told her neighbour months earlier she had something important to tell - but refused to expand on the revelation.

But after the three of them had a booze session, she challenged the convicted sex offender: "Tell her what you've done."

Lawson - also convicted in 1992 for fondling the breasts of a schoolgirl - blurted out an admission he had abused a child.

Mrs Beck, 39, went to police that night, and last night she maintained: "I did absolutely the right thing, without a doubt."

Lawson was immediately arrested, and his second victim - who had tried to bury her ordeal - was contacted by detectives.

She told in a statement how her shock turned to anger towards her abuser, and said: "The last year has felt like a total blur."

Despite his drunken confession, Lawson pleaded not guilty to a string of sexual offences and was due to face a crown court trial.

He failed to turn up on the first day, but the judge started the case and mother-of-four Mrs Beck gave evidence.

A recording of an interview with the victim was also played to the jury and she was due to be cross-examined the next day.

But Lawson arrived at court on the morning, and following discussions with his barrister, changed his pleas to guilty.

Judge Simon Bourne-Arton, QC, jailed him for ten years and two months, and told him: "The abuse was quite clearly persistent."

The judge added: "It was persistent and progressive, because you took every opportunity to carry out that activity.

"You set out to groom her and abuse her to satisfy your selfish lust . . . You obviously thought you had got away with it.

"You have led a life unaffected by what you did. She has not. She has been deeply affected by what you did to her."

Defence barrister Robin Denny said the only thing in Lawson's favour were his guilty pleas which saved his victim from having to give evidence.

Mr Denny said: "There is not a great deal of remaining mitigation. There was no attempt to issue some blame elsewhere."

Lawson, of Gladstone Street, Darlington, admitted four charges of causing a child to engage in sexual activity, three of sexual activity with a child and one of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.