Predator 'who hid in plain sight' is jailed for 5 years

Lavery's evil offending had a 'significant impact' on victims

- BY REBECCA BLACK

A PERVERT described by police as an “incredibly manipulative child predator” pretended to be a “God-fearing” man, one of his victims said yesterday.

He spoke out as Co Armagh sex offender Patrick Lavery was handed a five-year prison sentence for child sex offences.

The 40-year-old, of Ballynamoney Road, Lurgan, was convicted at Craigavon Crown Court in May following a two-week trial after facing nine child sex offence charges that took place from 1999 to 2009.

The charges included gross indecency towards a child, both male and female victims, and counts of indecent assault against a child and sexual assault on a child.

The court heard there were six victims, with the youngest just six, while Lavery was a teenager at the start of his offending and an adult in his 20s towards the end of it.

Lavery returned to the dock yesterday for sentencing, looking ahead and without expression between two guards for most of the hearing while people sat in the public gallery behind him.

His legal counsel said that for part of the offending Lavery had been aged between 14 and 17 years old, and asked for his mental health issues to be considered.

POIGNANT

Judge Donna McColgan told the court that she wanted to assure the victims she had read and fully considered everything in the victim impact assessments submitted.