Michael McAteer, 65, of no fixed address, was arrested at Manchester Airport on May 27 after returning from China, where he had lived with his wife for three years without informing police. He pleaded guilty to failing to comply with notification requirements and was sentenced to eight months in prison at Liverpool Crown Court on June 25.
Breach of Notification Requirements
McAteer was convicted of rape in 1994 and placed on the sex offenders' register indefinitely, requiring him to notify police of foreign travel at least seven days in advance. On April 29, 2023, he submitted a form at a police station but failed to provide details of his travel plans, despite being asked to do so. He flew from Heathrow to China on May 16, 2023, and remained there until his return on May 27, 2026.
Prosecutor Derek Jones stated: "We do accept that, on the 29th of April 2023, the defendant did attend a police station and handed over a form notifying the police that he would be travelling abroad. That did not give details of his travel plans, and he was actually asked at the time to provide further information." Jones added: "In essence, he was out of the country for three years. He had not notified the authorities of his travel plans."
Previous Conviction for Similar Offence
McAteer had a prior conviction in 2018 for breaching the register by travelling to China without notice, for which he received a six-week sentence. Defence lawyer Simran Garcha acknowledged: "I concede that it is woefully unattractive that he has a previous conviction for breaching the notification requirements in 2018." However, she argued that his compliance over 32 years had been largely consistent, and he believed he had fulfilled his obligations when he attended the police station.
Garcha explained that McAteer faced online threats before leaving the UK and sought safety with his wife in China. She said: "He now accepts that further information ought to have been provided, and he should have maintained contact regarding his whereabouts. It was not a deliberate attempt to evade supervision." McAteer suffers from chronic health conditions, including spondylosis, arthritis, and eye problems, and returned to the UK for hospital treatment.
Sentencing Remarks
Recorder Anna Pope KC sentenced McAteer, stating: "By 2023, these notification requirements had been in place for more than 20 years, almost 30 years. You knew full well what was expected of you. This was, in my view, a long period of non-compliance. You knew that you were intending to spend some time in China. You were there for some three years. In my view, this was a determined attempt to avoid detection."
She noted the aggravating factor of his 2018 conviction for the same offence but acknowledged his remorse, health issues, and isolation. McAteer appeared via video link from HMP Altcourse wearing a grey Nike t-shirt.
