Violent sexual predator who tried to kill a schoolgirl convicted of further offences against eight others

A violent sexual predator who tried to murder a schoolgirl has been convicted of further offences against eight others at Teesside Crown Court today. 

Ellis Dismore, 24, of Stoneyhurst Avenue, Middlesbrough, has been convicted for the second time, after being found guilty after trial in December last year for multiple offences related to the attempted murder of a 15-year-old girl in Middlesbrough, who he had also groomed online. 

Dismore had hounded his victim online for many months before unexpectedly ambushing her near her home address as she walked home from school. Initially pretending he needed medical assistance he then chased her down the street before stabbing her five times in the back and chest.  A passing motorist bravely intervened in the attack, before driving her to where her mother waited for her at a nearby school. It was only thanks to a life-saving intervention by air ambulance crews that she survived.     

Today, 29 November, Dismore was convicted of 16 further offences relating to his grooming and stalking of eight further schoolgirls, who had been identified from the ongoing police investigation following the attempted killing. 

Using multiple fake social media profiles to pose as a young teenager, Dismore would incite his victims to send him indecent images of themselves before threatening to share these images and to harm or rape the girls if they refused to comply with his wishes. He also attempted to arrange to meet up with them to engage in sexual activity and made further threats towards them if they refused.

Eve McDonnell, a Senior Crown Prosecutor with the CPS North East’s Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) Unit, said: “Ellis Dismore is a violent sexual predator who would stop at nothing to manipulate young girls into sexual activity. Initially presenting himself as a young teenager, he would gain the trust of his victims before bombarding them with explicit sexual messaging. 

“A particularly chilling aspect of his offending was his ability to access personal information about his victims and their families, exploiting this information to intimidate and terrify them. 

“While Dismore’s intimidating comments about rape and violence would have been terrifying enough for his young victims, his attempt on the life of one of his victims clearly demonstrates that he also possessed the capacity to act on such threats if he so chose.

“I would also like to recognise the incredible bravery of the young victims and witnesses in this case. Despite the horrific nature of Dismore’s actions toward them, they have provided key testimony and evidence which has been instrumental in helping the Crown Prosecution Service to build such a robust case against him. We sincerely hope that the part they have each played in bringing this prolific and violent sexual predator to justice will bring them some measure of comfort.

“I would also like to commend the outstanding work of our partners in Cleveland Police throughout the investigation of these linked cases. This includes the hard work of the officers leading leading each case and the diligence of the police digital forensic team, which identified many of Dismore’s victims and forensically mapped the huge scale of his offending.”