Today, Thursday September 4, at Craigavon Crown Court, 40-year-old Patrick Lavery from Lurgan, has been sentenced to five years imprisonment, half to be served in custody and the remaining half on license for; four counts of gross indecency with a child, two counts of indecent assault on a female child, two counts of indecent assault on a male child and one count of sexual touching of a child.
A Sexual Offences Prevention Order was also imposed for a duration of ten years and Lavery will be placed on the sex offenders register for the remainder of his life.
From 1999-2009, Lavery sexually abused six children (as young as six years old). Now adults, the victims in this case have all came forward seeking justice.
On Monday 5th February 2024 he was interviewed and arrested for all offences. He denied all. He was later charged and then found guilty on 1st June, being remanded to custody.
Detective Inspector Chris Flemming commented on this case saying: “This man is a cold, calculating and incredibly manipulative child predator who has today been sent to prison for his crimes against innocent children.
“I want to thank the bravery of the victims in coming forward. It goes to show that the passage of time has no bearing on a criminal justice outcome. We have seen an increase in reports of non-recent child abuse over the last five years, with an average of 45 new referrals of this type each month across the province. Sentencings like today, I hope, will provide those who have suffered with the confidence to break the years of silence they have endured.
“Let this serve as another warning to those perpetrating child sexual abuse in our communities, we are working every day to break down reporting barriers and encourage victims to come forward. You will be caught, your lies uncovered and you will face the full force of the law.”
He says: “I was just 12 years old when it began. What happened did not just change the course of my life; it cast a shadow over everything I was and everything I might have become. It has left scars that I still carry today, and has affected my ability to trust, to form healthy relationships, and to feel safe, even in my own home.
“It was hidden in plain sight—not just the abuse, but the silence, the looking away, and the unwillingness to confront what was happening. The trial was not just a legal process; it was a reckoning. I was forced to sit across from the person who violated me. I had to listen to lies spoken with cold denial. And yet I stood in that courtroom to speak the truth; for myself, and for all of us who were harmed.
“I now understand that I was just a child (a victim) and that the responsibility lies entirely with the abuser. The only feeling I have, is that of relief. Relief that I no longer have to lie awake at night wondering if this is still happening to another child. That, and only that, brings me peace.”
Parents/guardians and wider local communities should report any activity, online or physical towards a child that they find concerning. Similarly if you have been the victim of recent or non-recent child abuse please report to Police on 101 or 999 in an emergency.
