Telford sex offender visited victim's workplace

Hussan Hussain, 29, of Prince Edward Crescent, Malinslee, was convicted of three counts of breaching a Sexual Offences Prevention Order at trial.

Mrs Harminder Hayre, prosecuting, said Hussain received the order from Shrewsbury Crown Court in 2012 after he was convicted of four counts of sexual activity with a 13-year-old girl.

As part of the order, the defendant was banned from contacting the victim directly or indirectly. However, magistrates at Telford were told that the victim had recognised him in November 2014 as she gave him change while working at a drive-through restaurant in the region.

Mrs Hayre said that no charges had resulted from that occasion, as the victim had believed it was just a coincidence. But the prosecution put forward three further occasions on which Hussain had subsequently returned to the restaurant, parking up and staring at the young woman.

On the last occasion he was seen laughing with his wife and pointing at her, the prosecution said.

Magistrates at Telford ruled that Hussain would have recognised the victim on the first occasion, despite defence arguments that she changed considerably as a result of growing up.

The magistrates added that they had taken "adverse inference" from the fact that Hussain, a married father of two, had made no comment about the offences when interviewed about them by a police officer on February 5.

For Hussain, Mr Shakeel Ahmed said the defendant had been visiting the restaurant regularly with his family and had not recognised the girl. He said Hussain had stopped going as soon as police informed him the victim worked there.

Hussain said he knew where the victim lived and could easily have visited her there if he had wanted to break the order..

The defence said the victim had given "a completely inconsistent account" during the trial in which she repeatedly broke down and asked for breaks.

Sentencing was adjourned until July 29.