WILLIAM BURKE SHOCKS DERRY AND MAGHERAFELT WITH SEXUAL OFFENCES INVOLVING YOUNG GIRLS

In a disturbing case that has sent shockwaves through the communities of Derry and Magherafelt, William Burke has been sentenced to prison for his involvement in indecent acts targeting young girls. The incident, which took place in March 2012, involved Burke using his mobile phone to secretly photograph girls’ undergarments, an act that has been classified as outraging public decency.

William Gerald Burke, whose address was listed as c/o Maghaberry, appeared before Derry Crown Court to face charges related to these offences. He pleaded guilty to two counts of outraging public decency on March 12. The court was informed that police were alerted after a 16-year-old girl confided in her mother that she believed she had been inappropriately touched while shopping in Magherafelt. This report prompted an investigation that involved reviewing CCTV footage from the shopping centre.

Authorities discovered footage showing Burke, aged 56 at the time, approaching the young girl and lowering his mobile phone beneath her skirt. The footage revealed Burke turning to check his phone’s screen after each attempt, indicating he was actively taking photographs. The police further examined additional CCTV footage, which showed Burke approaching another young girl, later identified as a 13-year-old, who was waiting at a checkout counter. Burke was seen moving behind her and again lowering his phone under her skirt, capturing images without her knowledge.

Following these discoveries, Burke was arrested a few weeks later. During police interviews, he initially claimed to have no memory of the incidents and cited his chronic alcoholism as a mitigating factor. However, once shown the CCTV footage, Burke admitted to using his camera phone to take pictures up the girls’ skirts. He also disclosed to officers that he had feelings for young females and that he could generally control these urges unless he was under the influence of alcohol.

It was also revealed that Burke had a prior conviction for similar behaviour dating back to 2007, involving an incident at a shopping centre in Derry. This history of offending underscored the court’s concern about his repeated behaviour.

During the hearing, defence counsel Paul Foster emphasized that Burke’s actions did not involve any physical contact and expressed that his client was embarrassed by his conduct. Foster stated that Burke was remorseful for the impact on the two girls, although he argued that the offence did not cause significant harm. He also pointed out that there was no evidence to suggest Burke intended to escalate his behaviour beyond taking photographs.

Judge Stephen Fowler addressed the court, condemning Burke’s actions as a gross invasion of the girls’ privacy. He highlighted the aggravating factor of Burke’s previous conviction for similar offences and his ongoing interest in young girls. The judge sentenced Burke to 20 months in prison, with ten months to be served in custody and the remaining ten months on licence. Additionally, a sexual offences prevention order was imposed for ten years, prohibiting Burke from associating with children, visiting children’s facilities, or possessing any mobile phone with camera capabilities.

In a related incident in March 2012, William Burke was remanded in custody after breaching a sexual offences prevention order. The court heard that Burke, then aged 55 and residing on Coolshinney Road in Magherafelt, was accused of loitering in areas frequented by children and possessing a mobile phone with a camera at a shopping centre. He was also charged with taking nude photographs and an indecent photograph of a child. Burke admitted to the offences committed on March 12 and had previously received a four-month jail sentence, suspended for three years, in 2007 for similar offences. The court further noted that Burke was subject to a SOPO until 2017.

Police reports indicated that Burke was arrested after a mother reported that he had taken photographs under her daughter’s skirt. Bail was refused, and Burke was remanded in custody for a video-link hearing scheduled for April 11 in Magherafelt. This series of events underscores ongoing concerns about Burke’s behaviour and the measures taken by authorities to prevent further offences.