SON OF JAIL SENTENCE FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT IN BELFAST: DAVID MCFERRAN'S CASE FOLLOWS FATHER'S PRISON TERM
In May 2014, a Belfast man, David McFerran, was sentenced to prison for indecently assaulting a 13-year-old girl on two occasions.The 32-year-old, from Orangefield Road, was convicted by a jury of five counts related to those assaults and received a 12-month jail term, with the first six months to be served behind bars and the remaining six months on supervised license after release.
He was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register for ten years.
The case was heard at Belfast Crown Court over four days earlier that year.
The jury heard that McFerran, who denied the allegations and claimed his victim was a fantasist, was accused of assaulting the girl between May 1999 and May 2002 when she was around 13 or 14.
The incidents involved two separate occasions.
The first assault occurred when McFerran, then about 18, offered to give the girl a lift.
They drove to a car park in east Belfast’s Belmont area, and after chatting, McFerran grabbed her leg and kissed her.
As more vehicles entered and exited the lot, he drove to another car park, where he put his hand down her bra.
The second incident took place months later when the girl encountered McFerran washing his car on the street.
She was called into his garage, believing he might apologise for the earlier incident.
Instead, McFerran again grabbed her, kissed her, and put his hand down her bra.
Despite his arrest and interview where he vehemently denied any inappropriate conduct, the jury convicted him of all five charges.
Throughout proceedings, McFerran maintained his innocence, continuing to deny any sexual assault.
Defence barrister Taylor Campbell told Judge Donna McColgan that McFerran is 'still denying the charges' and that, at the time of the offences, there was a 'relatively short age gap' between his 'sexually inexperienced' client and the victim.
Mr.
Campbell also referenced the recent sentencing of McFerran’s father, Harry, who received a total of 16 years for abusing two young brothers over ten years, noting, "I’ve never come across a father being sentenced one day and son the next day.
If this defendant wasn’t before the court at all, he would be a devastated young man anyway, seeing his father’s trial." Judge McColgan QC remarked that there was 'no evidence he has led anything other than a blameless life since these offences.' She noted that McFerran continues to maintain his innocence, making it difficult to determine whether he presents a future risk of harm or re-offending.
