ONE OF Northern Ireland's most notorious sex offenders yesterday lost his appeal against his conviction for breaching a court order designed to stop him from re-offending.
Eamon Foley, (48), Castlederg Co Tyrone, was jailed for 16 years in 1999 for raping Mary Anne McLaughlin in her mobile home on the outskirts of Castlederg. Four weeks after she was raped, Ms McLaughlin died.
Foley was released from prison last October having served half of the 16-year sentence but he was immediately rearrested at the gates of Magilligan Prison in Co Derry for breaching the terms of an interim Sexual Offences Prevention Order by failing to give an agreed pre-release address to the authorities.
The rapist, who is one of only six sex offenders in Northern Ireland registered as a highest category three offender, was jailed for four months at the Magistrates Court in Derry last January for breaching the terms of the order. He was released having already served time in custody for the offence. Yesterday his appeal against that conviction was turned down and Judge Philip Babington affirmed the sentence.