A self-confessed rapist and child molester from County Antrim has been jailed for seven years for abusing his wife’s half-sisters.
There was uproar in court as James Sloan, 39, from Oakview in Templepatrick was led away after being sentenced on 35 charges of rape and indecent assault.
Sloan had originally pleaded not guilty to the charges, dating between June 1991 and July 2001, but changed his plea on the morning of his trial.
As Sloan was led from the dock in Belfast Crown Court on Wednesday, court staff, police and a solicitor had to step in to separate his two victims from his wife, who is standing by her husband.
Outside the court, his victims waived their right to anonymity saying they were “disgusted” by the sentence and would be seeking legal advice.
One victim said: “He took 10 years off my life and he is given just seven and maybe he will do three and a half.”
Her sister, said they “would try to get on with our lives” while they “leave him be to rot where he is – he’ll end up in hell”.
The court heard he began to rape and abuse her when she was 12-years-old and then turned to prey on the other sister when she was just 11.
‘Simple lust’
Sentencing Sloan, Judge Patrick Markey QC said his “catalogue of rape and indecency…must be severely punished”.
He said that the only point in Sloan’s favour was the fact he pleaded guilty, saving his two young victims “from the additional ordeal of having to give evidence about these extremely unpleasant and disgraceful events”.
Earlier, defence QC Andrew Donaldson said that any attempt to explain their brother-in-law’s conduct would be “extremely difficult except in terms of simple lust”.
The lawyer revealed that since Sloan had pleaded guilty his wife, Michelle, and their two sons had suffered a hate campaign against them, receiving anonymous letters and having her car vandalised.
Offenders’ register
Mr Donaldson said that posters had been put up near Sloan’s home describing him as a “rapist and child molester…to the huge humiliation of the family”.
Giving evidence to the court , Sloan’s wife said she was standing by her husband and had forgiven him.
Judge Markey told Sloan he was sorry that his “grave misconduct has brought undeserved punishment” on his innocent wife and family but added that “no-one but yourself has inflicted that upon them”.
As well as his seven year jail term, the judge told Sloan that he would be on the police sex offenders register “for the rest of your natural life”.
