A CONVICTED sex offender banned from contacting his victim has been sentenced to two years in prison after persuading an inmate to help him get to her.

Michael Graham roped in the partner of his fellow inmate at Holme House Prison to pass on a letter to the woman asking her to get in contact with him.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the 32-year-old was sentenced to nine years in prison for a brutal and sustained attack on a woman in her own home in 2014.

Graham was also made subject of a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) to protect his victim from future contact.

Victoria Lamballe, prosecuting, said Graham had ignored the conditions of his SHPO when he was released from prison and had been recalled on licence for that previous breach.

Graham had hidden under the woman's bed before creeping out from underneath and carrying out a protracted sexual and violent assault, she said.

The defendant was sentenced to nine-years for that offence.

Graham, originally from Cumbria, pleaded guilty to his latest breach of the terms of his SHPO whilst in custody.

Ismael Uddin, in mitigation, said his client accepted he had contacted to the victim but maintained he had legitimate cause.

Jonathan Carroll sentenced Graham to two years to run concurrent with the nine-year sentence he is already serving.

He said: "You his inside her house and attacked her in the most disgraceful way over a number of hours, involving physical, emotional and sexual abuse.

"It is not the purpose of this court to re-sentence you for what you have done but it is relevant for you sentence today.

"You have already breached your SHPO in July 2019 when you received a 16 month sentence for contacting her.

"If you didn't understand your SHPO in 2015, you certainly did in 2019 when you received the sentence for breaching it but you don't seem able to retain the lesson.

"You have breached it again by going through a third party, the wife of an associate of yours in custody, and you caused her to write to her and contact you through that means.

"It was a deliberate act to sidestep the restrictions of your SHPO and they are there to do exactly as they say – prevent sexual harm."

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