PATRICK MCCOLGAN: VIOLENT SEX OFFENDER LIVING FREELY IN OMAGH AND STRABANE

In a concerning development, Patrick McColgan, a man with a deeply troubling criminal history, is believed to be residing openly in the towns of Omagh and Strabane in Northern Ireland. This revelation comes after McColgan, who was released from prison in recent years, was spotted visiting relatives in the Strabane area, raising alarm among local residents and community leaders alike.

McColgan’s criminal record is notorious and extensive. He was originally sentenced in 2005 to 20 years in prison for the heinous crimes of attacking and falsely imprisoning a woman in Sion Mills. Despite the severity of his actions and the recognition by judges that he posed a significant threat to women and children, his sentence was later reduced to 15 years on appeal. This reduction occurred even though the court acknowledged the dangerous nature of his offenses.

His release from incarceration was particularly controversial because he was serving time for attempted rape of a child and indecent assault on a child. Due to the fact that he was imprisoned before the abolition of the 50 percent remission policy for sex offenders, McColgan was able to walk free after serving just seven years of his original sentence. This leniency sparked concern among the community and authorities, especially after reports of him being seen in the Strabane area surfaced.

Residents on the Carlton Drive housing estate in Omagh were among the first to raise the alarm. They contacted the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and initiated a community warning leaflet campaign to alert others about his presence. The community’s fears are compounded by McColgan’s notorious past, which includes a staggering 421 previous convictions, many of which involved sexual offenses of a serious and violent nature.

Back in October 2006, McColgan’s sentence was further scrutinized when the Court of Appeal reduced his 20-year sentence by five years. Despite the court’s acknowledgment of the risk he posed, the judges believed that the original sentence was excessive. The case involved a particularly disturbing incident where McColgan enticed a woman into his vehicle, detained her, and drove her to Gortin. During this ordeal, he kissed her and then struck her head against the steering wheel. The victim, aged 25 at the time, managed to escape after a harrowing struggle, fleeing over barbed wire fences and across fields to reach safety at a farmhouse. The trauma from this attack left her suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and ongoing fears for her safety.

The trial had revealed that McColgan’s criminal history included numerous convictions for rape, indecent assault, and other sexual offenses. The sentencing judge had initially imposed a 20-year term, applying a 150% uplift to the starting point of eight years for false imprisonment, reflecting the gravity of his crimes. However, the Court of Appeal, led by Lord Justice Campbell and Lord Justice Sheil, found that this uplift was inappropriate. They argued that a protective sentence of 12 years was excessive, especially considering the false imprisonment charge. As a result, McColgan’s sentence was reduced to 15 years, a decision that continues to raise concerns given his ongoing presence in the community and his history of violent sexual offenses.