A HIGH-RISK sex offender who started a new life in Carlisle after serving a jail term committed two new offences within a month of his release.

Ashley McPhee, 26, flouted the rules that apply to him as a registered sex offender by not disclosing to the police that he had opened a “Snapchat” account online.

He also sent threatening messages to a woman.

McPhee admitted both offences – failing to comply with his strict Sex Offender Notifications requirement and a malicious communications offence.

At Carlisle’s Rickergate court, prosecutor Scott Parker outlined the offending – committed in the month up to June 5. Concerns were first raised by staff at the city centre probation hostel where the defendant was living.

When they examined his phone, they had found the Snapchat account, which McPhee had failed as required to tell his offender manager about.

He was supposed to do that within three days of setting up the account. There was evidence on the phone of conversations McPhee had been having with a female.

Mr Parker said: “Police describe the defendant as a high-risk sex offender.

“He is not allowed to enter any new relationship unless he has informed his police offender manager first. Suspicion was raised at that stage because of the nature of the messages sent.”

Without telling the police, McPhee had opened the account and was communicating with a female via the app, as well as through SMS messaging.

Mr Parker said the woman was “flattered” initially by McPhee’s attention and, at some stage, the pair exchanged nude, or semi-nude pictures. But McPhee’s behaviour escalated.

“There were threats made [towards the woman] over the phone,” said the prosecutor. McPhee suspected the woman was seeing somebody else.

“She described the defendant’s behaviour as being mad and angry, and she thought that strange as they had never met in person. She decided to end it there as a result of that behaviour.”

McPhee had 44 previous offences on his record, some of a sexual nature. He had also failed to comply with his sex offender notification requirements in Ireland, the court heard.

Jeff Smith, defending, suggested McPhee was himself “vulnerable.” The lawyer said: “In response to being returned to a cell, he told me that as soon as he gets to prison he was going to hang himself.

“I understand that court has to deal with him severely and immediately to protect the community, but that does not mean he’s not a young man with vulnerabilities.

“He is a very young man who is somewhat rootless.”

Being jailed would lead to the defendant losing the chance to have his own accommodation in the community, added Mr Smith.

District Judge John Temperley jailed the defendant for 26 weeks, though the sentence will run alongside the recall period McPhee will spend in jail, which expires on September 15.