A PROMINENT character in North-East amateur dramatics circles is starting a prison sentence of more than six years for a string of child sex offences.

Morris McShane, 54, came face-to-face with one of his victims in court yesterday (Monday, March 21) as she bravely stood to tell him how the abuse had affected her life.

Teesside Crown Court heard how McShane, from Seaham, County Durham, had befriended the then-schoolgirl, they had sex and she later became pregnant.

Years later, the father-of-one "groomed" another teenager and exploited her vulnerability, prosecutor Oliver Thorne told Judge Simon Bourne-Arton, QC.

McShane pleaded guilty to five charges of sexual activity with a child and two of sexual assault as he was about to go on trial at the court last month.

His barrister Paul Currer said he was genuinely remorseful, but the judge said: "You didn't show one iota of remorse while you were denying the charges."

McShane, of Ambleside Avenue, Seaham - who the court heard has no previous convictions - has been involved in amateur dramatics for more than 20 years.

He has been in productions with Vane Tempest Theatre Group, in Seaham, the nearby Murton Theatre Group, St Andrew’s Operatic Society, Sunderland, and South Shields Gilbert & Sullivan Society.

After reading a pile of references, Judge Bourne-Arton told him: "Clearly, you are a man of talent and intelligence, and capable of hard work.

"Those who know you have spoken highly of you, but they only know one side of you . . . this court has seen the other side of you.

"The good side of you is full of remorse, and the good side of you does charitable work. You abused two young vulnerable girls. You took advantage of them."

McShane, who was jailed for six years and one month, is a podiatrist who works with the elderly and also does shopping for them and takes them to appointments.

Mr Currer said he is also involved in voluntary work with his son, making trips to Romania.

The lawyer said: "The defendant acknowledges the darker side of his character exposed by this offending does eclipse and cast a shadow over all the good work he has done in his life."

McShane's victim told the court: "The only thing I can think to get me through it is I am better than him. I always will be. He is sick. I think in his mind, he thought what we were doing was normal."

The other girl said in a statement: "I would play out the scenes in my head. It haunted me."