Paedophile who hid girl in hole behind fridge faces jail for sex offences

Michael Dunn, 57, from Redcar, Cleveland, knocked through the wall behind his fridge to create a cavity which he used to hide the girl - who had run away from home - from police.

Teesside Crown Court heard that Dunn, who was "paranoid, controlling and short-tempered", abused four victims over a number of decades.

He was convicted following a trial last month and remanded in custody ahead of sentence.

During the trial, Richard Bennett, prosecuting, told the jury that if any of his victims challenged the defendant "they suffered physically".

Mr Bennett said: "Michael Dunn is a violent, controlling and sexually abusive man."

The court heard he used a bag of dust and a panel to camouflage the hole where the girl was kept, concealing her eight or nine times.

Dunn imprisoned a second female victim, subjecting her to repeated violence, and filled his house with cameras, locks on the outside of doors and alarms.

He also groomed and sexually assaulted another vulnerable girl, giving her alcohol and cigarettes, as well as raping another pre-teenage girl.

He was convicted of 10 rapes, three charges of false imprisonment and three charges of indecent assault.

He was cleared of one charge of rape, one of making a threat to kill and one of grievous bodily harm.

Outside court, Detective Sergeant Dave Pettrick, of Cleveland Police, said: "This was an extremely complex and difficult inquiry which spanned many years and several locations in the UK."

Dunn will be sentenced at Teesside Magistrates' Court by Judge Tony Briggs.