Warrant issued for Donegal child sex offender at Derry Crown Court

A convicted child sex offender from Co. Donegal who has failed to comply with the terms and conditions of a Probation Order made by the court earlier this year following his conviction has had an arrest warrant issued at Derry Crown Court. 

The three year order was made against Patrick Joseph Kelly, 37, from Drumcavany in Letterkenny who was convicted on March 6 of this year of attempting to sexually communicate with a child.

Under the terms of the order Kelly had to comply with the instructions given to him by a probation officer, engage in a drug/alcohol counselling programme and had to reside only at an address approved by his supervising probation officer.

He was also ordered not to leave the agreed address without the approval of his probation officer and not to have any unsupervised contact with under eighteen year olds.

He was further banned from engaging in paid or unpaid work which involved under eighteen year olds and banned from developing any personal relationships without disclosing his conviction.

Applying for the three year order to be revoked, a probation officer told Judge Roseanne McCormick K.C. that Kelly had failed to attend two appointments with the probation service in Derry last August 1 and 14.

She said when contacted Kelly said he'd arrived in Derry for one of the appointments but instead went to a bar where he claimed he was threatened by an individual inside the premises.. 

"We spoke to him about this threat. It has not been substantiated. He said he came to attend a probation appointment and went to a bar in the town and said he was approached and threatened by an individual in the bar. A probation officer reported the matter to the police, it was investigated by them but the threat could not be substantiated.

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"The police gave him general advice about his safety and he was advised to instead go to the probation office in Omagh for future appointments", she said.

Judge McCormick said it was the second time since last Friday that Kelly had failed to attend court for the probation breach hearing. She revoked the probation order and issued a warrant for Kelly's arrest.