Paedophile gets jail term

Andrew William Wright, an ex-policeman and Scout leader, pleaded guilty to a string of abuse charges.

Originally from Moira, he is already serving an indefinite jail term after being convicted of more than 32 offences in England in 2011.

The parents of two Moira boys who Wright abused when they were eight and 11 said they hoped he ‘rots’ in jail.

They told the Belfast Telegraph that they first met Wright when he was 16.

“We trusted him. He befriended our son on the train to school,” the father said.

“He is predatory, a nasty piece of work – although you wouldn’t think it when you met him. He is like the boy next door. You would not in a million years if you met him think for one second he was a paedophile.”

The mother said: “All those memories we had of our two wee happy boys running around down the fields and every time I see him it is spoiled.

“We have our house on the market because he abused the boys here.”

Her husband added: “We just want to encourage any other possible victims to come forward but more importantly protect other children from becoming future victims. He is a dangerous man.”

Wright’s catalogue of abuse emerged in 2011 after he admitted to a total of 32 charges at Lincoln Crown Court in England.

He was given an indefinite sentence to protect the public, with a minimum three years and 10 months.

Wright, who left Moira to study forensic science at Lincoln University when he was 18, was arrested in October 2009.

He had joined Lincolnshire Police in January that year but quit in December following his arrest.