A VIOLENT rapist slipped under the radar by telling police he was living in a tent while actually staying in a Didcot flat.

Paul McLaughlin, living in the community on licence having been jailed for 10 years, is on the Sex Offender Register for life. But the 49-year-old lied about his whereabouts for three weeks.

And, at Oxford Crown Court yesterday, McLaughlin was convicted of providing false information.

McLaughlin, who has lived in Didcot all his life, was jailed in October 2002 after being convicted of two counts of rape and one each of indecent assault, false imprisonment and actual bodily harm.

At the time Judge Tom Corrie described the crimes as “savage”, and said: “It’s quite plain that someone (the defendant) had beaten the spirit out of her, both emotionally and physically.

“It’s clear that you were seeking to humiliate her physically, emotionally and sexually.”

Having been released from jail in 2008, McLaughlin, who has 33 previous convictions for 81 offences, was required to notify police of any changes to his address.

On March 24 this year he entered Didcot Police Station and told a member of staff he was no longer living in Dirac Place in the town but was instead of “no fixed abode”.

When Public Protection Officer David Eustice met him four days later, McLaughlin said he was “living in a tent or under a bush”.

But on April 12 officers were called to a flat in Dirac Place after allegations the defendant had assaulted someone – charges which were later dropped – and found McLaughlin in bed and clearly living there.

McLaughlin was bailed to an address in Synderford Close, Didcot, ahead of sentencing later this month.