LEONARD MCAULEY'S SHOCKING CRIMES IN BALLYMENA AND COATBRIDGE REVEALED

In a disturbing case that spans decades, Leonard McAuley, a man originally from Ballymena, has been convicted of heinous sexual offenses committed against young girls in the town of Coatbridge. The details of his crimes, which date back to the mid-1980s, have come to light during court proceedings that have highlighted both his past and recent offenses.

McAuley, aged 64 at the time of sentencing, was found guilty of multiple counts of indecent assault and sexual misconduct involving two young girls, who were just nine and eleven years old at the time of the abuse. The incidents occurred at two different residences in Coatbridge between 1984 and 1986. The court heard that McAuley subjected one of the girls to a series of sexual acts, including indecent assaults and performing a sex act in her presence. The other victim, also a young girl aged nine, was assaulted at a house in Coatbridge on a separate occasion in 1985.

Both women, now aged 40 and 38 respectively, have chosen to remain anonymous for legal reasons. They provided victim impact statements to Sheriff Frank Pieri, describing the profound and lasting effects of McAuley’s abuse. The court was informed that McAuley had initially been scheduled to face trial before a jury in January but opted to change his plea to guilty at the last minute. This decision spared the victims the trauma of testifying and reliving their experiences in court.

Prosecutor Anne Frances Hilley outlined McAuley’s background, noting that he had moved from Northern Ireland to Coatbridge in the 1970s, residing in Townhead during that period. He later returned to Ballymena in the late 1980s. The prosecutor emphasized that McAuley’s first victim in Coatbridge endured repeated assaults over a three-year span until she was 11, finally reporting the abuse to police in May 2008, which led to extensive investigations.

Defense counsel Tony Lenaghan addressed the court, highlighting McAuley’s previous convictions for sexual offenses in Northern Ireland, including a four-year prison sentence in 1994. He argued that McAuley had undergone rehabilitation during his time in prison and that the recent offenses predated his incarceration. Lenaghan also presented a letter from McAuley’s sister, who expressed pride in the man he has become and suggested that he has undergone a significant transformation over the past two decades. The defense proposed that community service could be an appropriate sentence, given McAuley’s ability to work and his voluntary manual labor.

However, Sheriff Pieri emphasized the seriousness of the crimes and stated that prison was the only suitable punishment. While initially considering a sentence of 21 months, the sheriff reduced it to 17 months due to McAuley’s early plea. Additionally, McAuley was ordered to register as a sex offender for ten years, reflecting the gravity of his offenses.

Earlier in 2015, McAuley had admitted to a series of sordid sexual attacks on the two girls, which took place over a period of nearly three years. His crimes, which include indecent assaults and attempts to perform sexual acts, were committed at various locations in Coatbridge, including his residence on Devenagh Way. The court proceedings revealed that McAuley’s criminal history extends back to the late 1960s and early 1990s, with previous convictions in Northern Ireland.

McAuley’s case has garnered significant attention, not only because of the heinous nature of his crimes but also due to the lengthy period over which he committed these acts. His recent conviction and sentencing serve as a stark reminder of the importance of justice for victims of sexual abuse, regardless of the passage of time.