Man who had sex with family dog is jailed

After serving the jail term, Newry Crown Court Judge Kevin Finnegan QC ordered 43-year-old Garth Michael Williams to spend two years on supervised licence conditions, “in order to make progress with his longstanding problems and addictions for an addiction it must be.”

Last month the married civil engineer, originally from South Africa but who was living at Mill Road, Ballyroney in Banbridge at the time, pleaded guilty to a total of 31 offences, including two counts of allowing himself to be penetrated by a living animal on a date unknown between 1 February 2009 and 4 April last year.

In addition Williams, who appeared in the dock wearing a grey suit, pleaded guilty to 10 charges of distributing indecent images of children, 17 counts of possessing or making indecent images of children and two further charges of possessing extreme pornography, all of which occurred on various dates between 10 October 2011 and 4 April 2014.

On Thursday prosecuting barrister Michael Chambers revealed that on the day he was arrested, Williams - who has an address at Station Road in Portstewart - tried to take his own life before turning himself into police.

The lawyer described how police went to his then work place and removed computers and other material but concerned staff contacted the manager to say the officers were looking for Williams.

The manager happened to be with Williams at the time and he agreed to meet the officers but police and staff “became concerned when the defendant failed to appear.”

The officers went to his home and explained to his “upset and concerned wife” why they were looking for husband.