PAEDOPHILE BREACHES COURT ORDER AFTER ANSWERING DOOR TO POLICE HOLDING PHONE
A convicted sex offender was found to have breached his bail conditions when he handed police an internet-accessible phone, a court heard yesterday.Belfast Magistrates Court was told that, following a report in the media, police had been called to Patrick McGirr’s former home in Bangor after a large crowd had gathered outside.
When officers attended the property at Whitehill Pass, the 46-year-old showed them the news story on his mobile phone, which led to him being arrested for breaching bail.
McGirr, originally from Ballymena, had been on bail facing two charges of breaching a court-imposed Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO).
The charges allege that McGirr, who was a primary school lollipop man before he was snared by paedophile hunter groups in 2018, breached the order on August 10 this year by having a device capable of accessing the internet, and by not disclosing a relationship to the authorities.
A police officer told the court he was objecting to bail due to the risk of further offences and because “community tensions remain high”, and so there was no available address for McGirr to go to.
He added that when police returned to the property to collect medication, “significant damage had been caused”.
Representing himself, McGirr claimed: “My risk manager gave me that phone back.” The case is due before Ards court on October 15.
McGirr, who is originally from Larne, was well known as a school lollipop man for several years before he was arrested following an incident during which he was confronted by a vigilante group.
