March 2021

Brave teen waives right to anonymity to expose sick stepdad who abused her as a girl

This is perverted stepfather Robin Armstrong who forced himself upon his eight-year-old stepdaughter, Joanna.

The twisted 44-year-old pleaded guilty at Belfast Crown Court last month to five counts of sexual assault of a child and a further count of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

His victim, Joanna Burton (now 16), has waived her right to anonymity to expose her filthy stepfather who repeatedly attacked her in the family home in Ballymoney.

Speaking to the Sunday World along with her mother Cara Hill, who consented to her daughter bravely speaking out, Joanna says she was “devastated” when her attacker was only handed a suspended jail sentence.

“I couldn’t believe it when the judge jailed him for three years – but then said it was being suspended so he won’t spend a single night behind bars for what he did to me,” says Joanna.

“He thinks he can get away with it and carry on living his life without anybody knowing because he abused a member of his family.

“That’s why I’m waiving my right to anonymity to expose him to the world for what he really is – a disgusting child pervert.

“When he reads this I want him to hear me saying, ‘karma’s a bitch’. I hope he rots in hell.”

Joanna says during early court hearings of the case – when Armstrong was denying all the charges – he “laughed” and “grinned” at her in the courtroom.

“He still thought he had total and utter power over me back then but hopefully now he has had that smile wiped off his face,” she told us.

In Northern Ireland sex abusers who target family members cannot be identified to protect the identity of their victims.

But Joanna and her mum were keen to expose Armstrong and signed forms drawn up by a solicitor to waive that right to anonymity.

Joanna’s mum Cara also told this paper that Robin Armstrong need to be exposed publicly so other women would know what he’s like.

“He’s so arrogant, he thought he could do whatever he liked and because of the circumstances nobody would know,” says Cara.

“I’m so proud of Joanna for speaking out because it means we can warn the women of Northern Ireland not to get involved with this man ever – especially if you have kids.

“Now you have met Joanna and I think you can see she’s a strong independent woman who makes her own calls – I’m just here to support her decision to speak publicly.

“She has every right to have her say – he had his say when the perverted bastard decided to get into bed with an eight-year-old girl.

“And she has absolutely nothing to feel embarrassed or ashamed of.”

Armstrong, with an address of Ferryquay Place, Coleraine, committed the multiple offences between January 2013 and June 2016.

Joanna says she agreed to a plea deal meaning the most serious charge of sexual assault, which included penetration, was left on the books.

“I wanted the case to be over, I would have given evidence in the witness box but was glad I didn’t have to,” says Joanna.

“I still thought he would be sent to prison. If I thought for a second he wouldn’t I’d have refused the plea deal and gone into court. I was devastated when he was allowed to walk free.”

His twisted campaign of terror started when Joanna was just eight years old and continued until she was 11. Cara and Joanna say calculated Armstrong waited until his wife was sleeping before attacking his stepdaughter in her own bed.

“I had no idea this was happening to Joanna until she told me about it in 2018,” says Cara.

“I was devastated. I had married and then separated from Robin by then and it affected me mentally very badly because I had brought him into the house and had no clue what he was doing.

“I had five kids and was exhausted so I went to bed early. He’d wait an hour until he knew I was asleep and then go into Joanna’s bed.

“It’s sickening. He doesn’t deserve to be in society. No real man would ever hurt a lady never mind do this to a child.”

Cara says Armstrong had appeared to be a different person when they first met but she now wonders if he had targeted her because she was vulnerable and had young daughters.

“When I first met Robin back in 2006 he was so charming and caring,” says Cara.

“Robin was like a guardian angel. He was exactly what I needed at the time but now looking back I wonder if he always had this in him and I fear he targeted me because I had daughters.”

Cara (36)says things changed when they had their first child together.

“He became more aggressive and seemed to be jealous of the baby because he wasn’t getting as much attention as he did before.

“He started losing his temper and the relationship started to go downhill. We got married in 2014 but we split up two years later.”

The abuse of Joanna started in 2013.

Joanna said: “I blocked it out of my mind for a couple of years and only told my mum when I was 14.

“By then my mum and him had separated.

“I went to the police and made statements and he was arrested shortly afterwards. He denied it for ages and like I say, he laughed at me in court.

“He must have thought he would never be convicted or that I wouldn’t be strong enough to go through with it.

“I would just like to say to any girl or woman going through something like this – don’t suffer in silence – speak out.”

Armstrong was sentenced to three years in prison, suspended for three years on each of the six counts he pleaded guilty to.

Cara said: “In court they made more of his learning difficulties and gave him credit for pleading guilty – even though he didn’t plead guilty for years.

“They even mentioned he had suffered a heart attack and needed a stent put into his heart. You would have thought he was the victim the way they were getting on.

“I just wanted justice for Joanna and was shocked he wasn’t sent to jail. My message to any woman out there is – don’t go near this man.”

He was ordered to sign the sex offenders register indefinitely and is barred from working with children and must not have any contact with any children unless supervised by

social services or other officials designated by the court.

He is subject to a sexual offences prevention order (SOPO) for the next five years.

March 2021

North Belfast group’s poster boy in PR drive is a paedophile

THE mother of a five year old boy sexually abused by a paedophile has warned the public not to be fooled by his lies.

Ryan McAuley (30), who has convictions for sexually assaulting three children, is claiming to have turned his life around and has been taking part in publicity campaigns for the Loveworks Co-operative.

The organisation, based at the Macrory Centre on Duncairn Gardens in north Belfast, runs a bakery, bike repair shop and gardening service.

Shockingly, McAuley has been pictured and quoted promoting Loveworks projects he has been working on.

The mother of one of his victims, whose son was abused by the predator between the ages of four and seven, said she was stunned reading his “lies”.

Her anger increased last Thursday when Loveworks rang her to defend its links to McAuley, telling her it believed he had reformed.

“Ryan McAuley is a monster. He will always be a danger to children,” the mum said

“When he walked past me in court after being convicted of abusing my son, he smirked, and said to my husband, ‘Don’t try anything. There are cameras all over this place’. What sort of thing was that to say to the father of a boy he had just been found guilty of abusing?”

During McAuley’s 2014 trial, it was revealed he forced his young victim to climb into a cupboard before abusing him. At the time, he was living near the schoolboy at an address off the Falls Road.

Giving evidence to the court, the brave victim said: “Ryan took me into the wardrobe. He took down his trousers and made me touch him. My mummy called and Ryan said to me, ‘Don’t be telling your mummy. Don’t tell anyone’.”

The abuse only came to light when the boy wrote a note to his mother as a teenager detailing his ordeal. During McAuley’s trial, it emerged he had convictions for abusing two other kids.

After getting out of prison, the paedophile kept a low profile, having been assaulted while behind bars. But before Christmas, he was used by Loveworks in a promotional piece about how it helps former criminals turn their lives around.

The mother of his victim told how she was sickened reading his story. “I couldn’t believe what I was reading. I broke down in tears. He is a paedophile, yet here he is working in a centre regularly used by children,” she said.

“There are schools on both sides of Duncairn Gardens in the New Lodge and Tigers Bay. Do parents living nearby and the teachers know a sex offender is right in among them?”

The mum said Loveworks contacted her last Thursday to defends its links to the serial paedophile.

“Loveworks told me it was sticking by him and that it believed he had changed. I was disgusted to hear that,” she added.

“What Loveworks should be more concerned about is the impact this has had on my son. It’s set him back years and he’s right back to square one. My son has really suffered. He’s 20 now, but he still has flashbacks. Knowing McAuley is swanning around Duncairn Gardens has made him paranoid and worried for other kids in north Belfast.”

A spokesperson for Loveworks Cooperative said: “Loveworks Cooperative exists to support people who want to create positive change in their lives and community. We believe everyone deserves a second change. Loveworks does not comment on individual clients.”

In a promotional interview for Loveworks last December, McAuley talked about his criminal past but did not mention he was a convicted paedophile.

The serial child sex offender claimed his life was blighted by drugs from the age of 11 and that between spells in prison he was targeted by dissident republicans in west Belfast.

Describing himself as a “real gangster”, he boasted: “I was smoking three ounces of cannabis a week and ran up a £760 debt to a dealer which quickly became £3,000.

“I made a deal that I’d sell some for the dealer as well as buying some. That worked. I made some money and I thought, ‘This is it. Finally I can make some money for myself (by) selling’.”

But the truth of the matter is that far from being a top criminal, McAuley is a cowardly paedophile who was caged for sexually assaulting young children.

After being freed from prison, he met a Loveworks founder and got his job in the Macrory Centre.

McAuley said: “For a stranger to trust me like that was amazing. If it hadn’t been for him taking that chance on me, I would be dead now.”

February 2021

Pensioner ordered to sign sex offenders register after admitting indecently assaulting two males 40 years ago

A pensioner was ordered to sign the sex offenders register yesterday after he admitted indecently assaulting two males 40 years ago.

Appearing at Antrim Crown Court by video-link from his solicitors office, Ian James Alexander McDonald entered guilty pleas to two charges against him.

McDonald (69), from the Clonetrace Road in Broughshane, admitted two counts of indecent assault – one against each male victim, on dates between February 28, 1980 and April 6, 1982.

While the facts of the case were not opened yesterday, prosecuting counsel Michael Chambers said it was a “straightforward case” but warned Judge Patricia Smyth there “may be an issue with dangerousness”.

Defence QC Neil Connor asked the judge to adjourn passing sentence to allow probation to complete a pre-sentence report.

Freeing McDonald on bail in the meantime, Judge Smyth listed the sentencing hearing for March 30. She told McDonald however that given his confessions, he is “now required to sign the sex offenders register.”