TREVER HINTON'S SHOCKING PAST IN BELFAST: UDA KILLER AND SEX OFFENDER REDEEMS HIMSELF AS GOSPEL SINGER
In the heart of Belfast, a man with a dark and violent past has been seen engaging in seemingly innocent activities, such as singing hymns with a gospel group in the city centre.However, behind this facade lies a history marked by heinous crimes, including sectarian murder, rape, and violence during the Troubles.
Trevor Hinton, known locally as 'Hinty,' was involved in one of the most brutal incidents of sectarian violence.
On the early hours of July 12, 1972, Hinton, then a prominent member of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA), broke into the home of Catholic residents Sarah McClenaghan and her son David in North Belfast's Oldpark area, accompanied by three other UDA members.
During this terrifying assault, Hinton forced Sarah to the ground at gunpoint and raped her twice while her young son was present.
According to her testimony, Hinton instructed her son to go upstairs and fetch a prayer-book, but he returned with her Catholic missal and rosary beads instead.
The assailants then stripped Sarah and continued their assault, ignoring her pleas for mercy.
Tragically, Hinton shot and killed her son David, who was only 14 years old and described as having a mental disability.
Despite her injuries, Sarah McClenaghan survived the attack, bearing the scars of three gunshot wounds and the trauma of witnessing her son's murder.
Hinton’s violent actions did not end there.
He was convicted of this sectarian murder and rape, but was released from prison in 1989.
His criminal record includes a subsequent 16-year sentence after he and an accomplice ambushed a drunk Catholic man, bludgeoning him with a hammer and a hatchet in a separate attack.
Despite his violent past, Hinton now claims to have found redemption through faith, asserting that God has forgiven him for his past sins.
When approached by Sunday Life at his residence in South Belfast, Hinton openly dismissed his previous crimes.
He stated, “I pleaded guilty on the advice of a solicitor,” and denied the allegations of rape and murder, claiming, “Did I rape Sarah McClenaghan?
No.
Did I shoot her son?
No.” However, he refused to specify who he believed was responsible for the crimes, instead asserting that only “the Lord above knows” who committed the acts.
Hinton expressed remorse for his past, claiming, “I showed abject and true remorse when I was in prison and I apologised at the time and to Sarah’s brother Brendan.” He also described his crimes as a “stupid drunken escapade that should never have happened,” and revealed that he had attempted to take his own life because he could not live with the guilt.
His conversion to Christianity reportedly began in 1973 after a prison officer introduced him to the Bible, and he has maintained his faith ever since.
Despite his claims of remorse and forgiveness, Hinton declined to answer further questions at his home.
Later, he contacted Sunday Life by phone, reiterating that “only the Lord above knows” who committed the crimes and expressing his belief that he should not have been charged with attempted murder for his 1992 attack on a Catholic man with a hammer and hatchet.
He described hitting the victim once with a hammer and argued that the charge should have been only for grievous bodily harm (GBH).
Hinton is often seen in Belfast city centre, participating in activities with the Belfast Bible Believers group.
Undercover footage captured him clapping and singing along as they praised the Lord at the corner of Cornmarket and Donegall Place.
Introducing himself as “Trevor,” he told an undercover reporter that he helps set up the instruments at home and that he has been involved with the group, although he claimed to be unwell recently.
When another reporter visited his home to ask about his past crimes, Hinton was less forthcoming.
After asserting that God had forgiven him, he told the reporter to leave.
Later, he called to say that he prays nightly for the McClenaghan family and his second victim, showing a complex and contradictory attitude towards his past.
Hinton’s history was brought to light by a former inmate who had served time with him.
The source expressed disbelief upon seeing Hinton singing with Christian groups, highlighting the stark contrast between his violent past and his current public persona.
Since his release in 2002, Hinton has settled in a South Belfast neighborhood, where his house is decorated with loyalist flags and Christian symbols.
Unbeknownst to neighbors, the seemingly harmless pensioner, who often uses a mobility scooter, is a convicted sex offender and murderer responsible for one of the most brutal crimes during the Troubles.
When approached by Sunday Life, Hinton claimed that he was no longer associated with the Belfast Bible Believers, stating that the group had disbanded recently.
Vinny Boyle, a member of the group, acknowledged Hinton’s openness about his past but emphasized that he has shown genuine remorse and has not engaged in any further violent or criminal behavior.
Boyle added that Hinton remains a sincere witness and has contributed generously to their activities, living with the burden of his past actions and the conscience that haunts him.
