A British man is on the run in Thailand from a six-year prison sentence for sexually abusing children during riding lessons.
Damien Midgley, 37, fled abroad after he was charged with 11 offences of abusing four children under 13. Some of them had been on their first riding lesson with him, according to a report in The Press in York, England.
Midgley was released on bail following his arrest but fled to Thailand and his trial went ahead without him. A judge has issued a warrant for his arrest.
A jury at York Crown Court heard that some of the abuse took place when Midgley took children for riding lessons in a wood near the North Yorkshire riding school where he worked.
He claimed in police interviews after his arrest that he had not touched any of the children sexually in any way.
However, he still chose to flee the country rather than face a jury trial. He instructed his legal team to proceed in his absence, and the trial took place with an empty prisoner's dock.
His not-guilty pleas meant the children had to testify about what the accused did to them. Defence witnesses also gave evidence on Midgley's behalf.
The jury deliberated for a full day before convicting Midgley on all 11 charges: 10 of sexually assaulting a girl under 13 and one of inciting a child under 13 to commit a sexual act.
Recorder Jamie Hill QC sentenced Midgley to six years in jail, put him on the sex offenders' register for life and made him subject to a sexual offences prevention order.
He also issued a bench warrant before the trial began for Midgley's arrest.