A CHILD sex offender condemned himself to life in a wheelchair after bungling a suicide attempt as he faced trial.

George Baker, 66, hurled himself under the wheels of a train, but his bid to evade justice failed and he ended up surviving, although he lost his right arm and leg.

Now he has been warned by a judge that he could face jail - despite maiming himself.

He had been due to appear at Newcastle Crown Court when he leapt from a platform at North Shields station last October.

Now Baker has admitted child sex attacks dating back more than 30 years.

Judge Richard Lowden adjourned sentence at Newcastle Crown Court for reports and a risk assessment.

He also further remanded Baker, formerly of Brock Farm Court, North Shields, North Tyneside, on bail to an undisclosed address.

But he warned him: "I don't know what the sentence is going to be. I want to see what the content of the pre-sentence report says and I am making no promises."

Baker, who lost his leg above the knee and his arm at the elbow, molested two schoolgirls during a spate of sex attacks. He admitted two charges of indecent assault against one girl between 1973 and 1978.

He admitted six more indecent assault charges against the second girl between 1981 and 1986.

Both girls were under 14 when they were attacked. A further charge of rape, which Baker denied, was dropped by prosecutors.

Baker had earlier denied all of the offences and been due to stand trial when he fell in front of a Metro train after releasing himself from hospital where he had complained of chest pains.

He was freed and taken back to North Tyneside General Hospital.

Paul Currer, mitigating, said: "These are offences which occurred some time ago."

Baker is expected to be sentenced in the week beginning June 18.