Britain's worst villain is back behind bars
BRITAIN’S most-convicted man is back in prison after running up a staggering 668 offences in a 48-year criminal career. Prolific thief Patrick Ryan, 62, has been convicted 469 times, costing taxpayers £3million to bring him before courts.
His criminal record is 100 pages – so long, police once warned workers not to print it out as it would waste paper.
Ryan, of Accrington, Lancs, was this week jailed for 18 months at Preston Crown Court for exposing himself on a bus, groping a woman passenger and urinating.
He pleaded guilty to indecent exposure and sexual assault on a woman.
The court heard a victim statement, who said she was anxious about getting on a bus following the incident.
She said it had brought anxiety “that had already existed”.
The court also heard Ryan had been in and out of custody since he was 14, mainly for theft, and spent 23 years behind bars before reaching 50.
Beverley Hackett, defending, said in court: “This has been brought on by his drinking.
“There are other signs it has deteriorated in processing information.”