NORMAN PORTER FROM JONES, CO DONEGAL, SENTENCED FOR SEX OFFENCES IN SCOTLAND AND IRELAND

In a case that has sent shockwaves through the small Irish community of Fanad in County Donegal, Norman Porter, known locally as Norman Porter-Jones, has been sentenced to six years in prison for a series of heinous sexual offences committed in Scotland. The disturbing revelations about Porter’s past have resurfaced, shedding light on a man who once tried to conceal his shameful history from the villagers.

Norman Porter-Jones, a 59-year-old former coastguard, was living just a few yards from a school in the remote village of Fanad, a quiet area in County Donegal. Despite his attempts to hide his dark past, authorities in Scotland uncovered his involvement in a series of sexual crimes committed over two decades ago. The Irish Sunday People reported that Porter-Jones was residing in Fanad while wanted for sex offences in Northern Ireland, adding a troubling layer to his already sinister profile.

His estranged wife, who continues to live in fear of him in Donegal, reached out to the media to reveal that her daughter had also been a victim of Porter-Jones’s abuse. She described her life with him as a nightmare, recounting how her discovery of his abuse towards her daughter shattered her world. She expressed frustration that her warnings about his evil nature had been dismissed or ignored by the local community.

“My life with him was a nightmare. When I discovered he had been abusing my daughter, my life fell apart,” she said. “I tried to convince others that he was evil, but nobody was listening. He could turn on the charm when he wanted to. People thought I was imagining all this. Perhaps now they will see him for what he really was,” she added, her voice filled with anguish.

While awaiting sentencing in Northern Ireland, Porter-Jones was seen mingling freely with locals in Fanad, a picturesque village known for its scenic beauty. When approached outside his bungalow about his sordid past, he simply smirked and refused to comment, stating he had nothing to say. The villagers, however, were left in shock when news of his conviction became public. Many recalled his previous appearances at community events, including dressing up as Santa Claus for a Christmas party at Fanad Fisheries, where he worked as a diver. Management at the fishery, unaware of his criminal history, expressed their disbelief at the revelations.

Porter-Jones, often referred to as “Taff” by locals, was deported to Scotland last year after serving a sentence for offences committed in Northern Ireland. The Scottish court detailed how he preyed on young children, including a girl aged just 9 and a boy aged 12, between 1973 and 1975 while stationed as a coastguard in Scotland. The court heard how he lured the girl into his home, where he then committed the abuse. Advocate depute Graham Bell explained that the girl’s friendship with Porter-Jones developed through invitations to his house for tea with his wife and children, which ultimately led to three years of abuse until she was 12 years old, after which he moved to Northern Ireland.

The second victim was a 12-year-old girl from England, now aged 38, whom Porter-Jones met during her school holidays at his home in 1974. The police were alerted in 1997 after the second victim confided in a psychologist about her ordeal. Investigations then led to the tracing of the first victim, revealing a disturbing pattern of predatory behavior spanning over two decades.

During the trial, defence counsel Simon Gilbride stated that Porter-Jones, who admitted to the offences, was genuinely remorseful and appalled at his own actions. The court’s verdict and subsequent sentencing mark a significant moment in the pursuit of justice for his victims, and a stark reminder of the hidden dangers lurking behind seemingly ordinary community members in small towns like Fanad and Jones in County Donegal.