A convicted sex offender attacked a 10-year-old boy minutes after being allowed out of a secure mental health unit on unsupervised leave, a court heard.


Shaun Tudor, 43, who has spent his entire adult life in psychiatric hospitals including two spells in the maximum security Rampton, dragged his terrified victim into bushes 250 yards from his home in Rainworth, Notts, before sexually assaulting and attempting to rape him.

It also emerged in court that he had previously assaulted two young boys, including one while on weekend leave from a psychiatric hospital in Birmingham.

Furthermore, there are sure to be searching questions to those who authorised Tudor's leave after it was revealed that in a pre-sentence report he had said: 'I will definitely re-offend against children if I am released into the community.'


Nottingham Crown Court heard yesterday that after the latest attack, Tudor had told the traumatised youngster he would 'track him down and kill him' if he reported the incident.

But the boy broke down in tears when he returned home and Tudor was eventually arrested following a huge manhunt after failing to return to the unit where he was being treated.



Tudor told the two boys he was 'looking at nature' then pretended to fall over. When the victim went to help him up, he grabbed him and carried him off into bushes and carried out sex attack

Today, the victim's parents said they felt 'terribly let down' - and demanded to know why someone with Tudor's history was given permission to leave his secure unit unescorted.


They also questioned why the unit had been situated on a business park in a residential area surrounded by homes and schools.

The court heard the attack had thrown the family of Tudor's victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, into 'turmoil' and that they had now left Rainworth where the attack took place.

Tudor, 43, was given an indeterminate jail sentence yesterday and told by a judge that he will probably never be considered safe enough to be freed.


Tudor, who has previously assaulted two young boys, including one while on weekend leave from a psychiatric hospital in Birmingham, struck on a 'sunny afternoon' last July when the youngster was playing in woods with a friend.



Answers wanted: Tudor had been given unsupervised leave from the St Andrew's Healthcare Centre (pictured) in Mansfield when the attack took place


Predator: Tudor has spent his whole adult life in psychiatric units including two spells at maximum-security Rampton Hospital (pictured) in Nottinghamshire

The court heard Tudor had walked out of the medium-to-low security St Andrew's Healthcare Centre, around a mile away, just minutes earlier on a two-hour leave of absence.



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Dawn Pritchard, prosecuting, said he spotted the two boys and told them he was 'looking at nature'.


'The attack on their son has had a devastating effect on their family. Why was Tudor, with his record, allowed out of the unit unaccompanied'

He then pretended to fall over and, when his victim went to help him up, Tudor grabbed him and carried him into bushes, out of sight of his friend.


There, he carried out a shocking sex attack before walking off.

Terrified by Tudor's threats to kill him, the youngster rejoined his pal and initially didn't say anything.


But Ms Pritchard said that when he got home, he began sobbing uncontrollably and told his mother, who called the police.


A huge search for Tudor was launched and he was eventually picked up eight hours later around five miles away.


After his arrest, he told officers: 'I've been doing so well for the last 24 years.'


The court heard he had been moved to St Andrew's eight months before the attack and had been allowed out eight times previously.


Warning: A judge told Tudor at Nottingham Crown Court (pictured) that he would serve at least four years and 10 months before being considered for release, but said it was unlikely he would be freed

'A PREFERENCE FOR YOUNG BOYS': TUDOR'S OFFENDING BEGAN AT 16
Tudor first came to the attention of the authorities in 1984 at the age of 16 when he was given a care order for indecently assaulting a six-year-old boy, Nottingham Crown Court heard.

Four years later, he launched a horrific attack on a seven-year-old boy while on weekend leave while being treated at a psychiatric hospital in Birmingham.

The court heard he approached the youngster, who was on a bike, and marched him down to a river where he ordered him to remove his trousers.

But when the frightened boy soiled himself, Tudor became angry and held his head under water while striking him with a rock.


He was convicted of indecent assault and given his first hospital order.

Since then, Tudor has never been free, spending his entire adult life in different psychiatric hospitals across the UK.


He was in Rampton from 1988 to 1995, returning for a second spell in 1998.

Tudor was moved to St Andrew's in Nottinghamshire from a low security unit in Northamptonshire when it was reclassified as a 'locked unit'.

Steven Taylor, mitigating, said his 'grading risk had gone up and down under different regimes' over the years.

He added: 'His preference clearly is for young boys and he was unable to control himself on this latest occasion.

'He probably convinced himself that he would be able to manage in the community.'

Steven Taylor, mitigating, said that Tudor, who suffers from learning difficulties and Asperger syndrome, was 'plainly was not safe to be out on unescorted leave'.

But judge John Burgess said he believed there was an 'element of deviousness' about how Tudor had answered questions which allowed him to be granted leave.

Chillingly, the court heard that in a pre-sentence report Tudor had said: 'I will definitely re-offend against children if I am released into the community.'

Judge Burgess said he was imposing a jail term, instead of the hospital orders Tudor had been subject to in the past because 'everything had been tried and not worked'.

He handed Tudor, who admitted attempted rape and sexual assault, an indeterminate sentence for public protection, with a recommendation he serve at least four years and 10 months before being considered for release.

But the judge said it was unlikely he would ever be freed, unless the authorities were presented with 'extraordinary evidence' to show he was no longer a threat.

After the sentencing, the boy's parents released a statement said through their solicitor, Martin Lee.

He said: 'The attack on their son has had a devastating effect on their family.

'They feel terribly let down by a system that allowed Tudor to be placed in a unit that only had planning permission as residential accommodation for those in need of care.

'They ask how planning permission was granted in the first place for this unit in a residential area, and they have other questions. Why was Tudor, with his record, allowed out of the unit unaccompanied?'

In a statement St Andrew's Healthcare, a not-for-profit mental health charity, defended Tudor's unsupervised leave.

A spokesman said: 'Internal and external reviews of the incident are now complete. These investigations have concluded that the decision to apply for and then allow unescorted leave was clinically appropriate.'
Tudor first came to the attention of the authorities in 1984 at the age of 16 when he was given a care order for indecently assaulting a six-year-old boy, Nottingham Crown Court heard.

Four years later, he launched a horrific attack on a seven-year-old boy while on weekend leave while being treated at a psychiatric hospital in Birmingham.

The court heard he approached the youngster, who was on a bike, and marched him down to a river where he ordered him to remove his trousers.

But when the frightened boy soiled himself, Tudor became angry and held his head under water while striking him with a rock.


He was convicted of indecent assault and given his first hospital order.

Since then, Tudor has never been free, spending his entire adult life in different psychiatric hospitals across the UK.


He was in Rampton from 1988 to 1995, returning for a second spell in 1998.

Tudor was moved to St Andrew's in Nottinghamshire from a low security unit in Northamptonshire when it was reclassified as a 'locked unit'.

Steven Taylor, mitigating, said his 'grading risk had gone up and down under different regimes' over the years.

He added: 'His preference clearly is for young boys and he was unable to control himself on this latest occasion.


'He probably convinced himself that he would be able to manage in the community.'



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