Former shopkeeper facing jail over child abuse charges
Wednesday, 1 October 2008
THE PEOPLE of Ballyclare were shocked last week to discover that a popular former shopkeeper from the town was appearing at Belfast Crown Court charged with abusing a nine year old girl.
The trial of 68-year-old Thomas Ronald Smyth, from Clare Heights in Ballyclare was due to start at Belfast Crown Court last Tuesday (23rd September) but his lawyer asked for him to be rearraigned and he pleaded guilty to seven charges of indecent assault and one of committing an act of gross indecency with a child on dates between October 1997 and October 1999.
Smyth was well known in the town as he ran a confectionery store in the Ollardale Road area for a number of years.
As he entered his guilty pleas his female victim, who has waived her right to anonymity so the former shopkeeper can be named and shamed, was comforted by her family.
Smyth, was released on bail and will be sentenced next month when victim impact and pre-sentence probation reports have been compiled.
Releasing Smyth after he had signed the police sex offenders register, Judge Philip Babington warned him that because of the nature of the charges a prison sentence would be "almost inevitable".
