A JUDGE has freed a sex offender who was jailed for not telling police his address in York.

Prosecutor Alan Mitcheson told York Crown Court that the city's magistrates locked up Thomas Patrick Neary, 55, for three months on April 17.

Earlier this year he had been released from a 12-month sentence imposed for indecently assaulting a girl and went to live at the Peaseholme Centre, York.

Prison officers and staff at the shelter for the homeless told Neary he had to register his name and address with police as a sex offender within three days of his release from jail, said Mr Mitcheson.

But he did not register until after police arrested him for not doing so.

He had completed nine days of his three-month sentence when he appeared at York Crown Court to appeal against it.

Judge Peter Baker QC, sitting with two magistrates, passed a jail term of six days so that he could be released immediately.

He said that Neary had now registered.

The sex offender's "bizarre" criminal record showed that he had been in Shrewsbury, Carlisle, Nottingham and Sheffield among other places.

"You name it, he has been there," said the judge. But his offences were "nuisance" crimes.

Mr Mitcheson said that Neary appeared to have known the girl he indecently assaulted. He blew a whistle to attract her attention, took hold of her and attacked her sexually.

She ran off when he fell over.

Magistrates heard that on March 21 Neary was released from his 12-month sentence, for the indecent assault offence, which took place in Harrogate. He was then arrested on March 29 for not registering.

Neary's solicitor, Damien Morrison, said then that he had not appreciated he had to register so quickly.

Updated: 10:22 Saturday, April 27, 2002