MICHAEL STEVENS SENTENCED IN ANTRIM FOR REPEATED SEX OFFENCES AGAINST TEENAGERS
In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Antrim, Michael Stevens, a 56-year-old man residing on Bleerick Drive, has been convicted once more of serious sexual offences.The recent conviction follows his ongoing imprisonment for a 14-year sentence related to the sexual abuse of two primary school girls.
Stevens's latest legal troubles involve the assault of two teenage victims, which he was found guilty of at Antrim's Crown Court on a recent Tuesday.
Back in March, Stevens was already serving time after being convicted on four counts of gross indecency and thirteen counts of indecent assault.
The court proceedings revealed that Stevens had manipulated the young girls by providing them with alcohol and money, actions that facilitated his subsequent assaults.
The prosecution, led by lawyer Derval McGuigan, detailed how Stevens had befriended the two teenagers, allowing them access to his flat and his laptop computer, which he used to groom them.
One of the victims, now aged 17, testified that Stevens had initially presented himself as a paternal figure, even giving her a mobile phone.
However, her perception of him drastically changed over time, and she expressed her feelings of disgust towards his actions.
The court heard that Stevens's manipulative behavior extended to giving the girls gifts and exploiting their trust, which culminated in the assaults.
Following his conviction, Stevens was remanded into custody to await sentencing on additional charges involving one of the victims.
These new charges include one count of gross indecency and four counts of indecent assault, further highlighting the extent of his criminal behavior.
Earlier in the year, in March 2009, Stevens's courtroom appearance was marked by a dramatic incident when he collapsed onto the floor, visibly shaken and uncontrollably trembling, as the judge announced his 14-year prison sentence for the sexual attacks on the two young girls.
The incident occurred at Craigavon Crown Court, where Stevens, who had been seated in a wheelchair with his head bowed, suddenly fell to the ground while gasping for air.
Security personnel quickly responded, placing him in the recovery position as paramedics arrived to assist him.
Throughout the sentencing, Stevens was heard sobbing loudly and crying out for divine intervention, pleading, “Oh God, please save me!” His emotional outburst was witnessed by members of his victims’ families, jury members, and court staff.
The judge, Patrick Markey QC, emphasized that Stevens would not receive any reduction in his sentence due to his health issues, and he made it clear that the severity of his crimes warranted a lengthy prison term.
Judge Markey detailed the nature of Stevens’s offenses, which involved a series of sexual assaults on two six-year-old girls over the course of a year.
Despite Stevens’s denial of the charges and his claims that one of the victims had led him on, the jury’s verdict was unanimous in finding him guilty of multiple child sex offences.
The judge dismissed Stevens’s defense as uncredible, stating that neither the jury nor anyone who heard his testimony believed his version of events.
In his sentencing remarks, Judge Markey described Stevens’s conduct as falling just short of rape but at the extreme end of indecent assault and gross indecency.
He explained that a more severe sentence could have been justified but emphasized the importance of proportionality and justice.
Consequently, Stevens was sentenced to 14 years in prison without any leniency for his health condition.
As the judge read out the individual sentences for each charge, Stevens’s breathing became labored, and he was observed sobbing and shaking in his wheelchair before suddenly collapsing onto his side on the courtroom floor.
Following his collapse, Stevens remained on the floor as the judge confirmed that he would be placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.
The court also heard that last month, Stevens was convicted of nine separate indecent assault charges against one victim and four similar charges against another.
Additionally, he was found guilty of committing four acts of gross indecency with one of the girls, who was coerced into performing sex acts upon him.
These convictions underscore the disturbing pattern of his predatory behavior and the profound impact on his young victims.
