A 53-YEAR-OLD man accused of a series of historic sex offences refused to face a judge when his case reached court on Tuesday.

Billy Dunlop is accused of carrying out rapes and sexual assaults between 1985 and 1988 against girls aged under 16 in Billingham.

He had been due to appear at Teesside Magistrates’ Court on two other occasions - but refused to come into court.

On Tuesday morning, Dunlop refused to face magistrates.

The short hearing went ahead anyway, as the defendant was “deemed” to be there through his solicitor Andrew White, and the case was transferred to Teesside Crown Court in the afternoon.

Dunlop, of HMP Frankland Prison, Durham, is accused of two charges of rape, two charges of indecent assault, and one charge of attempted rape.

In front of Teesside’s top judge, the Recorder of Middlesbrough Simon Bourne Arton, QC, Mr Dunlop again refused to take his place in the dock in the afternoon.

Defence barrister Nigel Soppitt said: “It is no disrespect but he cannot face the ordeal.”

The hearing went ahead in his absence, and the case was adjourned until Monday, November 7.

Dunlop, whose full name is William Vincent Dunlop, had previously indicated a plea of not guilty to the alleged offences but no pleas were entered at the hearing.

Mr Soppitt was asked by the judge if it was definitely going to be a trial, and he replied "certainly".