A MAN who was a suspect in the region's most notorious child murder has admitted abusing children.
Stephen Hines was arrested three times during the high-profile investigation into the abduction, sexual assault and murder of nine-year-old Christopher Laverack, but was never charged.
He was Christopher's brother-in-law and the last person to see him alive before the schoolboy disappeared on Friday, March 9, 1984, from the house in Harpham Grove, east Hull, that Hines shared with Christopher's sister, Kim.
In July 2008, Humberside Police revealed Christopher's uncle Melvyn Read was the prime suspect for the murder.
He was never charged with the offence and had died earlier that year.
However, detectives believed predatory paedophile Read did not act alone and had an accomplice.
GRIM DISCOVERY:Christopher's body was found in Beverley Beck.Hines has now admitted sexually assaulting two children aged eight and ten and is due to be sentenced at Hull Crown Court on Friday.
Now 60, he has threatened to kill himself if he is sent to prison. At an earlier hearing, Hines, of Orchard Park Road, Orchard Park, Hull, claimed through his barrister he was at "death's door" because of a variety of health problems.
Defence barrister Paul Genney said: "He says he doesn't have much longer."
He asked for sentencing to be adjourned until Friday for the completion of a medical report.
Judge Mark Bury told Hines's barrister: "My assessment is this defendant is simply putting off the inevitable."
Some of Hines's ailments were read to the court, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, diabetes, hypertension, insomnia, heart problems and claustrophobia. Mr Genney said he had been admitted to hospital the night before the hearing after a "seizure".
Referring to a completed pre-sentence report, the judge asked: "Where in this report does it say you are so ill that you may not have long left to live?"
He continued: "That said, there has been a doctor's report commissioned and paid for and it isn't your fault that the report is not at hand today, and it may – I say may – have some bearing on the length of the sentence you must serve.
"It seems to me you will have to serve a custodial sentence."
The judge ordered Hines to be remanded in custody and said in light of his threat to kill himself: "The prison service are to be aware this man is vulnerable and will be monitored."
Six years ago, Hines told the Mail his life had been ruined by his association with the murder, and claimed he was Christopher's "hero".
Christopher, of Anlaby, had been staying with his older sister Kim and her then-husband Hines.
At 7.50pm, Kim left to go to work at the Crown Hotel in Marfleet Lane.
Hines said he watched television with Christopher until 9.15pm, when he left Christopher and his 18-month-old son in the house to get some crisps from the Crown.
He stayed for a couple of drinks and returned to the house at 10.25pm to find Christopher missing.
Christopher was found two days later after a dog walker saw his body floating in Beverley Beck.
He had been sexually assaulted and beaten to death with a blunt object before being dumped in the beck in a carpet bag.
Read, who died from cancer in Hull Prison aged 64 in February 2008, remains the police's main suspect.
Officers believe Read – the brother of Christopher's mother Pamela Cawley – had been abusing the youngster over a period of time before abducting and killing him.
A spokesman for Humberside Police said: "We are satisfied Melvyn Read was the prime suspect in the Christopher Laverack inquiry. However, we always welcome any new information in connection with an investigation and even when a case is solved, we will always investigate any fresh details which may come to light."
