ANDREW WILLIAMSON FROM BANBRIDGE FACES SERIOUS CHARGES IN CO DOWN AND BELFAST

In a case that has garnered significant attention across Co Down and Belfast, Andrew Williamson, a man from Banbridge, is set to face sentencing after a lengthy trial concerning serious allegations of sexual misconduct involving a minor.

Back in January 2016, Williamson, aged 28 at the time, was remanded into custody following a two-week trial at Belfast Crown Court. The proceedings centered around accusations that he engaged in sexual activity with a 14-year-old girl when he was 24 years old. The charges against him included one count of sexual activity by an adult with a child and seven counts of sexual activity including penetration with a child, spanning from August 2011 to February 2013.

Williamson, who resides on Ashgrove Avenue in Banbridge, faced a jury composed of six men and six women. After careful deliberation lasting over six hours, the jury reached a verdict. The forewoman announced that Williamson was acquitted of seven of the charges but was found guilty by a majority of 11 to 1 on one count of sexual activity including penetration with a minor. The court heard that the incident in question took place at a house in Banbridge in February 2013, when the girl was 15 years old.

Throughout the trial, Williamson maintained his innocence, asserting that although he knew the teenage girl, he was not involved in any sexual relationship with her. He dismissed her claims of a relationship as false. Despite the jury's acquittal on most charges, the evidence presented led to his conviction on the single count involving sexual activity with a minor. Judge Stephen Fowler informed Williamson that, given the guilty verdict, he would be required to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register. The judge also noted that the length of the sentence would be determined at the upcoming sentencing hearing scheduled for March 4.

In a separate and earlier incident from May 2014, Williamson was involved in a disturbing case where he allegedly posted a photograph of himself armed with an AK47 rifle on Facebook, aiming to intimidate his alleged victims. The court heard that Williamson, then 26, was accused of drugging two teenage girls in care with alcohol to facilitate sexual abuse. The image was posted on his social media profile just one week after he was charged with these serious crimes.

Prosecutors argued that the Facebook post was an act of intimidation, although Williamson claimed that his social media account had been 'Fraped'—a slang term indicating that someone else accessed his account and uploaded the photograph without his knowledge. The police were unable to recover the rifle depicted in the image. Williamson, who had been prohibited from using the internet following an earlier bail release, was re-arrested after his Facebook activity was reported to authorities. He remains in custody and is scheduled for trial on September 15.

Further back in May 2013, Williamson faced allegations of grooming and sexual offenses involving two teenage girls aged 13 and 15 in Co Down. The High Court in Belfast issued a banning order preventing him from any unauthorized contact with children and from using the internet. At that time, Williamson, then 25, of Dromore Street in Banbridge, denied seven charges, including rape, meeting a child following sexual grooming, sexual activity with a child, and trafficking within the UK for sexual exploitation. The alleged offenses occurred between June 2012 and January 2013.

The prosecution detailed that Williamson had engaged in a month-long online chat with one of the girls via Blackberry BBM, during which he allegedly offered her money to help pay for a friend’s birthday present in exchange for sexual favors. The girl claimed that Williamson took her to a garage where the first sexual contact occurred and showed police two houses in Banbridge where she was allegedly raped. The girl also reported that Williamson supplied her with alcohol, including WKD and Buckfast tonic wine.

The second girl, aged 15 at the time, stated that she had consensual sex with Williamson over several months, meeting him twice weekly at his home or in his car. Williamson’s defense team maintained that he denied all charges and claimed that although he had communicated with the younger girl via BBM, there was no sexual contact.

Judge Maguire, presiding over the bail application, acknowledged the potential risk of further offenses but decided that a strict set of conditions could be imposed to mitigate these concerns. These conditions included a £5,000 cash surety, an alcohol ban, electronic tagging, a curfew, and restrictions on his use of mobile phones, computers, or any internet-connected devices. Williamson was also ordered to have no contact with the alleged victims or anyone under 16 unless explicitly approved by police. The judge emphasized the narrow margin by which bail was granted, highlighting the seriousness of the allegations and the stringent conditions necessary to ensure public safety.