Former DUP councillor sentenced for historical sexual offences

A former DUP councillor has been sentenced for historical sexual offences committed against a young girl.

The offences carried out by William Ball - which he initially denied and said were "total lies" and "a good story" when questioned by police - date back to the late 1970s and early 1980s.

The 72-year old, from Richardson Court in Belfast, had a 15-month sentence imposed by Judge Laura Ievers KC.

The former politician served on Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council until 2018 when he quit his position.

The sentencing at Belfast Crown Court on Monday marks the second time Ball has appeared in court for sexual offending.

In July 2021, he was handed a combination order consisting of 80 hours community service and a three-year probation order for separate similar sexual offences committed against three teenage girls between April 1977 and June 1991.

In court on Monday, it emerged that offending against a fourth girl occurred when she was aged between 12 and 15 and Ball was aged between 24 and 27.

She recalled that as a young girl, she witnessed Ball standing at his living room window with his lower clothing pulled down, exposing himself.

This behaviour happened on more than one occasion.

She did not tell her parents about this at the time and has since expressed regrets for not speaking up as she feels it may have prevented a subsequent incident.

When she was about 14, she was alone in his company and he indecently assaulted her.

After making disclosures to a counsellor in February 2019, the victim contacted the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) to make a formal complaint in January 2021 and the following May an interview was carried out with her.

Ball was interviewed in May 2023 when he denied any wrongdoing.

When her allegations of exposing himself was put to him, he denied this.

He said it was a "good story" and her account of the indecent assault was "total lies."

Ball continued these denials until the morning his trial was due to commence on 20 October this year.

Before the jury was sworn, he pleaded guilty to charges of indecently assaulting a female on an unknown date between 9 April 1980 and 19 April 1981 and indecently exposing himself to her on an unknown date between 9 April 1978 and 10 April 1980.

The judge said the victim, who also attended Monday's sentencing, had been "vindicated by dint of the defendant's public acknowledgement that he is responsible for offending against her".

Saying Ball's offending has had a "significant impact" upon her, the judge said she had read a "moving" statement which set out the trauma she experienced both at the time and in the intervening years.

This includes the physical and psychological harm she has suffered and how her Christian faith had been affected.

In her statement, the victim said: "I carry a profound sadness that my happy, safe and innocent childhood was violated by him".

She said that "reporting and bringing this to court has been a traumatic experience but important for me in processing the damage caused in my past by the defendant and for me to be able to move forward in a positive way in the future".

Defence barrister Noel Dillon told the judge that following his last sentencing, Ball completed his community service and engaged with probation.

Mr Dillon also revealed that Ball now finds himself with "relationship difficulties with his family who no longer want to know him" and is seeking a move from his current address due to "protests".

The defence barrister also outlined Ball's ill health which resulted in a recent spell in hospital.

Ball, Mr Dillon said, has also acknowledged the impact his offending has had on his victim with him telling a probation officer his actions were "evil and nasty".

Ball also told probation that while he could not remember the offending, he accepted responsibility and hated himself for it.

Branding sexual offending against children as "abhorrent", the judge told Ball: "You prioritised your sexual gratification over your victim's needs".

He was also placed on the Sexual Offenders Register for 10 years and a five-year restraining order was imposed which bans Ball from contacting the victim.