HENRY CREANEY, PORTADOWN PAEDOPHILE, FAILS IN APPEAL TO CLEAR HIS NAME

In June 2015, Henry Creaney, 58, failed to have his convictions overturned despite his attempts to dispute the verdicts related to a series of severe abuse crimes committed at his residence in Portadown, County Armagh.

The Court of Appeal dismissed Creaney’s appeal, rejecting his claim that an unbalanced jury charge compromised the safety of his convictions. Creaney, previously residing at Churchill Park in Portadown, was sentenced to 10 years in prison at Craigavon Crown Court the previous year.

He was convicted on 19 counts, including 12 charges of gross indecency with or towards a child and seven counts of indecent assault on a female. His offending spanned from June 2002 to October 2004, with the three victims aged between seven and eleven during that period.

Children from the local community often visited Creaney’s home, where they received sweets and drinks, played on his daughter’s computer, and watched TV. Court evidence revealed that Creaney engaged in games with the girls that would sometimes result in sexual acts involving him or committed by him. The victims also accessed extreme pornography after opening a file on his computer.

Creaney maintained his innocence, but he appealed on the grounds that the trial judge’s jury charge was biased in favor of the prosecution. His lawyers also contended that there was collusion among the girls over a brand of aftershave associated with the abuse.

However, Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan, alongside Lord Justices Coghlin and Gillen, upheld the conviction, stating that the issue of collusion was clearly addressed in the trial. The court also found that the discrepancies in the girls’ testimonies indicated they had not conspired together.

During the appeal, Creaney was seen via prison video link, using a walking stick, shaking his head as the judges upheld the verdict. Sir Declan emphasized that the judge at trial had appropriately laid out the case and encouraged the jury to scrutinize all evidence, dismissing claims of improper conduct or imbalance.

In a related case from May 2014, Creaney, then aged 57, was sentenced to 10 years for similar sex offenses. He appeared before Craigavon Crown Court on April 25, 2014, and was found guilty of 19 charges committed between June 23, 2002, and October 1, 2004, involving three victims.

Following his conviction, he was placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register and the Independent Authority Safeguarding (ISA) barring list, indicating his unsuitability to work with children or vulnerable adults. He was also subject to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order until 2021.

Prior to sentencing, in August 2013, Creaney’s solicitor had requested a publication ban, citing threats from an 'active organisation' and claiming that revealing his identity could endanger him or identify the victims. Deputy District Judge Mr. Liam McStay declined the request, noting that publication was unlikely to lead to victim identification or increase the threat level.