Sex offender Christopher Hill hit out after taunts

Christopher William Hill, 24, left his victim, Timothy Cass, scarred for life following the attack.

Nick Adlington, prosecuting, told York Crown Court that Hill, of Park Street, Pickering, had been drinking in a local pub when he had began a verbal fight with Mr Cass.

He said Mr Cass had then stood up and approached Hill in a “threatening manner”.

Hill had then hit him in the face with a glass in a single blow – causing a large cut near his left eye.

The court heard how Mr Cass had been taunting Hill following a conviction Hill received in August last year for bombarding a 14-year-old girl with hundreds of text messages begging her to send him naked pictures of herself.

Hill had sent a “friend request” to the teenager after she had been pointed out to him in a pub.

Hill knew the girl’s age after she accepted a “friend request” through Facebook – but proceeded to send her more than 500 text messages in a week asking for naked images.

She refused, but sent him pictures of her in her underwear. He mother later found the pictures and reported it to police.

Hill was consequently placed on the sex offenders’ register and had to go through a sex offenders’ treatment programme.

Mr Adlington said Mr Cass had taunted Hill for about 45 minutes before the attack took place. Hill was later arrested and charged with causing actual bodily harm. He later pleaded guilty at a court hearing.

For Hill, Taryn Turner told the sentencing hearing that her client had been subject to both verbal and physical attacks since details of his crimes were published.

She said: “Because of this sensitive conviction he has been subjected to violent taunts. This is a young man who has really been through the mill. He has been the target of abuse.”

He had been having a drink, she said, when Mr Cass approached him and Hill had acted out in a “split second” reaction.

Hill received a 16-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months.