Simon Anthony McDonagh

A registered sex offender from Newtownabbey has been sentenced to seven months in prison for breaching his notification requirements by failing to inform police of a change in his address. Simon Anthony McDonagh, aged 41, appeared at Antrim Magistrates' Court, sitting in Ballymena, via video link from prison on 18 April 2025.

The court heard that McDonagh, classified as a Category Two registered sex offender, was convicted at Lisburn Court in 2019 for the offence of exposure, a sexual offence that placed him under strict monitoring obligations. These obligations require offenders to notify police within a specified period of any change in their living arrangements to ensure public safety and compliance with the law.

Prosecutors detailed that on 13 January 2025, police were alerted by a bail monitoring firm that McDonagh was no longer residing at his approved address in Larch Grove, Newtownabbey. This breach occurred while he was subject to electronic tagging following a separate domestic matter. Further investigations revealed additional violations, including the removal of his monitoring tag, which he admitted had been done while he was heavily under the influence of substances.

• McDonagh was arrested on 23 January 2025 at an address in Enniskillen, where he claimed to have been at Antrim Hospital's Emergency Department.
• Prior to this, he had been reported as a suspicious male in Lurgan, leading to another tag breach.
• In February 2025, he also admitted to stealing the electronic bail monitoring tag itself.

Defence barrister explained that McDonagh had been staying at an address in Glengormley in January but had an argument with the owner, resulting in him not staying there for several nights. The barrister noted McDonagh's 201 previous convictions and that he was in breach of suspended sentences at the time. Despite these factors, the court imposed a custodial sentence of seven months, underscoring the seriousness of failing to comply with sex offender registration rules.

This case highlights the ongoing enforcement of notification requirements for sex offenders in Northern Ireland, managed by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). The breach not only violated legal conditions but also undermined efforts to monitor individuals convicted of sexual offences.