WILLIAM FERGUSON SENTENCED IN BELFAST FOR SEXUAL ASSAULTS IN BANGOR
A former firefighter from Bangor has been sentenced to seven and a half years in prison after sexually assaulting three teenage girls during parties at his home in Bangor.William Rowan Ferguson, aged 47 and now residing on Crumlin Road in North Belfast, pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including rape and sexual activity with girls under 16.
He also admitted to inciting a child under 16 to engage in sexual activity and to sexual assault.
Following his pleas, a prosecutor requested that several other charges remain on file and not be actively pursued without further approval from the court or the Court of Appeal.
During the hearing at Downpatrick Crown Court in Belfast, one of the victims described how Ferguson’s home was frequently used for parties where the girls were given alcohol and drugs.
The offenses took place between January 1, 2015, and April 2016.
The court was told that Ferguson threatened the girls with paramilitary violence if they spoke about what happened.
On Friday, February 9th, Ferguson appeared in Belfast’s recorder court, dressed in a grey two-piece suit and shirt, clutching a walking stick.
Judge David McFarland told Ferguson that if he had contested the charges and been found guilty at trial, the punishment could have been up to 10 years in prison for his serious offenses.
The judge noted that Ferguson made some admissions at the police station but denied the charges in court, despite ongoing discussions between his defense team and the prosecution, which the public was unaware of.
The judge explained that the victims and their families would have heard Ferguson entered not guilty pleas and that a trial was anticipated, causing considerable distress.
He emphasized that public confidence in the justice process and the emotional trauma of cross-examining victims are significant factors.
By admitting guilt late in the process, Ferguson publicly acknowledged his crimes, showing the victims and the community the truth.
Judge McFarland stated, “You can’t deny that.
It is a public admission that what you did was wrong.
Your guilty pleas spared the victims from the trauma of giving evidence and avoided the costs associated with a trial.” As a result of this late plea, the original ten-year sentence was reduced to seven and a half years.
Half of this sentence will be served in custody, with the remainder on supervised release following his release.
Ferguson received four years for rape, to run consecutively to a three and a half-year sentence for other sexual offenses involving a girl aged 13-16, and a six-month concurrent sentence for sexual assault.
He will be registered as a sex offender for life and subject to a Sexual Offenders Prevention Order.
Conditions of his release include restrictions on approaching children under 16 without a reasonable excuse, restrictions on being in vehicles with minors without approval, and a requirement to notify his risk manager before entering any romantic relationship.
At the conclusion of the hearing, Judge McFarland ordered prison guards to take Ferguson into custody.
The scene in the courtroom was emotionally charged, with victims and their families present.
Some individuals in the gallery shouted abuse as Ferguson was led away to the cells below.
