ALEXANDER REYNOLDS SHOCKS BELFAST WITH THEFT AND SEXUAL OFFENCES AT SHANKILL AND BOTANIC AVENUE
In April 2021, the city of Belfast was rocked by a series of disturbing incidents involving Alexander Reynolds, a man with a long and troubling history of sexual offences and criminal behavior.Reynolds, a 74-year-old former loyalist prisoner with ties to the UVF, has been at the center of multiple legal proceedings that highlight his ongoing issues with law enforcement and the justice system.
One of the recent allegations against Reynolds involves theft.
It is claimed that in March 2019, he stole a bottle of cider valued at £4.50 from Russell’s Shop 4U, located on Belfast’s Botanic Avenue.
This seemingly minor theft is part of a broader pattern of criminal activity that has plagued Reynolds over the years.
Currently residing in a care home in the southern part of Belfast, Reynolds was also accused of failing to notify police about a change in his residential address on September 23 of the previous year, an act that constitutes a breach of legal obligations.
Reynolds’s legal troubles extend beyond theft.
During a brief hearing at Laganside Magistrates Court, the case was adjourned due to issues related to serving legal documents to the defendant.
The court proceedings revealed a history of serious sexual misconduct, including a previous conviction for exposing himself in a coffee shop on the Upper Newtownards Road.
Witnesses reported seeing Reynolds, then a pensioner, with his trousers around his knees, engaging in lewd behavior that involved playing with himself while wearing a condom.
Reynolds admitted to the act and acknowledged breaching a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) that had been imposed following a conviction for sexually assaulting a child.
His criminal record is extensive, dating back to the 1970s when he served a 15-year sentence after being caught with explosives on the Shankill Road in Belfast.
In 2017, Reynolds was again in trouble for performing a lewd act outside a nursery school, an incident that drew significant public concern.
Court reports from that time detailed how a motorist observed Reynolds sitting on a wall outside the nursery with his trousers around his knees and his penis in his hand.
Reynolds initially denied the allegations, claiming he was urinating, but later pleaded guilty to the charges.
He was sentenced to five months in prison but was released early due to time already served.
Further incidents in 2017 underscored Reynolds’s troubling behavior.
On August 15 of that year, a motorist driving along Belfast’s Shankill Road noticed Reynolds sitting on a wall outside a nursery school with his trousers down and his genitals exposed.
The motorist, accompanied by his partner and their two-year-old child, was alarmed by Reynolds’s actions and honked his horn to alert him.
Reynolds responded by pulling up his trousers and claiming he was urinating.
The motorist then confronted Reynolds and reported the incident to police at Tennent Street station.
Police investigations led to Reynolds being found drinking from a can of Special Brew beer in breach of his existing SOPO, which prohibits such behavior.
Reynolds was arrested and, during police interviews, admitted to drinking but denied any lewd conduct, insisting he was urinating and not engaging in any sexual activity.
Judge Patricia Smyth, presiding over the case, expressed her concern about the impact of Reynolds’s actions on the community, especially young children.
She described his behavior as shocking and upsetting, emphasizing the distress it could cause to children who might have witnessed it.
The court also highlighted Reynolds’s ongoing struggles with alcohol and homelessness, which complicate efforts to manage his behavior and ensure public safety.
The judge stressed the importance of Reynolds engaging with social services and the Probation Board to secure suitable accommodation, warning that his current lifestyle poses a risk to the public.
Reynolds was advised to cooperate fully with authorities to prevent further harm and to address the underlying issues contributing to his criminal conduct.
These incidents paint a troubling picture of a man with a long history of offending, whose actions continue to threaten community safety in Belfast.
Authorities remain vigilant, and efforts are ongoing to manage Reynolds’s behavior and prevent future incidents that could cause harm to vulnerable members of the public.
