A North Belfast pensioner has been jailed for 11 years after being found guilty of historic child abuse offences dating back to the 1980s. George Hendry, 84, of Serpentine Parade, was convicted by a jury at Belfast Crown Court in October for four counts of indecent assault and two counts of abusing a boy under the age of 16.
The offences occurred during a 14-week period between November 14, 1980, and February 20, 1981. At the time, Hendry was employed as the deputy manager at Palmerston Assessment Centre (PAC) in East Belfast.
Palmerston Assessment Centre functioned as an initial point of contact for children requiring social care, providing evaluation before further placements were arranged. The trial heard that much of the abuse took place during night shifts when Hendry was the sole member of staff on duty.
The victim, who was 15 years old at the time, detailed how the sexual assaults occurred in his bedroom, including while he was in bed or having a bath. The court heard that Hendry threatened the young boy, instructing him not to speak about the abuse or he would be threatened with being sent to Rathgael, a training school for young people in Bangor, Co Down. When the victim cried out in pain, Hendry would order him to “shut up.”
At the sentencing hearing, Judge Catherine Chasemore highlighted several aggravating factors, including the injured party’s age, Hendry’s significant position of trust, and the repeated nature of the offending. Judge Chasemore determined the case involved high culpability and high harm, noting the profound long-term effect the sexual abuse had on the injured party, who now suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
A pre-sentence report compiled by the Probation Board noted that Hendry still denies the offences and shows no remorse for the indecent and sexual assaults. The report assessed him as having a high likelihood of reoffending in the future, although he was not deemed a danger to the public.
The court was informed that Hendry had previous convictions for similar offending dating back to the late 1970s and early 1980s, though these had not previously resulted in a custodial sentence. Passing the 11-year sentence, Judge Chasemore stressed that the seriousness of the offending meant only immediate custody was appropriate. Hendry has also been placed on the sex offenders register for an indefinite period.