June 2006 Child killer sent back to prison A child killer has been jailed for six years for indecently assaulting a woman while out on licence. Patrick Coleman, 53, who was jailed for life in 1975 for the murder of Barbara Leatham, 8, in Lurgan, was sent back to prison for the fourth time. Coleman, of no fixed abode, was freed under licence in January 2004. A prosecuting lawyer told Belfast Crown Court that police rescued Coleman from an angry mob in north Belfast after he attacked the middle-aged woman in 2005. Coleman had offered to take home the 49-year-old who had been drinking in a bar in the New Lodge Road area of north Belfast. After she left with him, he indecently assaulted her in an alleyway, leaving her “out cold” and half-undressed. Coleman had been charged with raping the woman but that charge had been left on the books after he pleaded guilty to indecent assault. At an earlier hearing, the prosecution lawyer said Coleman was out of jail on a pre-release scheme. “He was out drinking in breach of his conditions, he targeted a female, he took advantage of her condition,” the lawyer said. “The probation officer describes that it is apparent that he had entrenched, distorted views of women and they are significant contributing factors to his offending behaviour.” Coleman was also ordered to sign the police sex offenders register for life. ‘Unique case’ Describing the case as “unique”, Mr Justice Higgins said on Tuesday his role was to sentence Coleman for the indecent assault and to determine whether he should be given an extended sentence. The judge said Coleman’s potential risk to the public “remains an issue for the prison authorities and the Life Review Commissioners”. He added they “will no doubt want to take into account the actions of this court”. The judge said there was a “degree of pre-meditation” in the attack, that he had taken advantage of an intoxicated woman and left her in “an undignified state of undress”.