MICHAEL QUINN FROM BELFAST AND TEMPO STRIKES AGAIN IN COURT OVER SEX OFFENCES

Michael Quinn, who now resides on Edenmore Road in Doon, Tempo, has once again found himself in legal trouble related to serious sexual offences. His latest appearance in court comes after a series of troubling incidents spanning several years, highlighting ongoing concerns about his conduct and the measures taken to control his actions.

In September 2014, Quinn faced charges for having inappropriate contact with a six-year-old girl, an incident that drew significant attention from local authorities and the community. This case added to his long history of sexual misconduct, which has seen him repeatedly in conflict with the law.

Back in June 2012, Quinn was sentenced for breaching a court-imposed Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO). The order was originally put in place to restrict his activities following his conviction for raping a 15-year-old girl in August 2005. At that time, Quinn, then aged 23 and formerly residing on Glasvey Drive in Twinbrook, was convicted of raping the teenage girl, an offense that resulted in an eight-year prison sentence.

Despite serving his time, Quinn’s troubles persisted. He was released from prison but soon found himself back in court for violating the conditions of his SOPO. The breach involved failing to adhere to the rules set by his probation hostel, which had previously expelled him for misconduct. The court heard that the hostel had ejected him due to his failure to comply with its regulations, raising concerns about his supervision and the potential risk he continued to pose.

Judge Tom Burgess expressed a serious view of Quinn’s breach, emphasizing that the allegations concerning his conduct at the hostel might be subject to further legal proceedings in another court. He also noted that Quinn had already served time for a series of serious offences, including a sexual assault at a garage forecourt on Black’s Road in west Belfast in June 2007. During that incident, Quinn was involved in a disturbing attack where his cousin, Terry McKenna, armed with an iron bar, held three young male friends of the victim against their will.

Following the garage assault, Quinn raped the same 15-year-old girl again on a nearby golf course after forcing her to climb over the gates of the club. After the attack, he used the girl’s mobile phone to contact her mother and inform her of what had happened, demonstrating a disturbing level of callousness and lack of remorse.

This was not Quinn’s first breach of the SOPO. After his release in August 2009, he was arrested again on October 17 of the same year for failing to comply with the rules of his probation hostel. During that period, he also admitted to attempting to steal a car and trying to break into a house in Marlborough Park, south Belfast. All these offences occurred on October 16, 2009, illustrating a pattern of repeated criminal behavior and disregard for court orders designed to protect the public.

As of his latest court appearance, Quinn had already served the time for his previous offences, but his ongoing breaches and the nature of his crimes continue to raise serious concerns about his rehabilitation and the safety of the community in Belfast and Tempo.