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A CONVICTED sex offender who admitted breaching a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) by ‘loitering’ at school gates has walked free from court and returned to his home, which is situated just a few minutes’ walk from the premises in question and other child-centred facilities.
Brian Joseph McDonagh (also known as Bernard Thomas McDonagh), of Sydney Lane, Aughnacloy, was given a suspended sentence for similar offending in December 2020, but on both January 13 and 14, 2021 he was spotted loitering at the school by staff who raised the alarm.
It has also emerged specialist police attended with him on January 13, 2021 to reinforce the SOPO terms but he reoffended within hours and again the next day.
Judge Brian Sherrard told McDonagh, “Your presence at the school clearly caused anxiety for staff and pupils who were alert to your actions.
“On January 13, 2021 you were visited by police who reinforced the SOPO terms but within hours you reoffended. You are assessed as knowing what your obligations are, but fail to appreciate their importance.
“Your culpability is significant. This court has given you opportunities to mend your ways with various disposals but we’ve reached the point where only custody can reiterate the importance of compliance.”
He imposed a sentence of 16 months’ imprisonment, half in custody and half on licence, meaning McDonagh walked free having served the requisite period on remand.
Judge Sherrard declined to activate the suspended sentence, but restarted it to run for a further 18 months.
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