horrendous | 

Thomas McKenna: Serial abuser guilty of 148 charges committed sex crimes both sides of border

GAA club man pleads guilty to 148 charges as judge warns ‘You will be severely punished for that’

3rd October 2022

Serial pervert Thomas McKenna – who has pleaded guilty to a horrendous catalogue of sex crimes – committed offences on both sides of the border, the Sunday World can reveal.

The 62-year-old former postman – a one-time senior official with the famous Crossmaglen Rangers GAA club – was due to go trial next week on the first of three sets of serious charges.

But in June last year, McKenna pleaded guilty to 18 counts of voyeurism, four indecent assaults and one count of taking an indecent image of a child.

And at Belfast Crown Court on Thursday, his defence counsel asked for him to be rearraigned on a total of 148 charges, to which he pleaded guilty.

Belfast Recorder Judge Patricia Smyth told McKenna his guilty pleas meant he had admitted “a catalogue of terrible offences against vulnerable young men”.

And she warned him: “You will be severely punished for that.”

The list of offences to which McKenna pleaded guilty included indecent assaults, sexual assaults and gross indecency on young males between 1989 and 2018.

In 2017, the Sunday World was invited to an event in Crossmaglen Rangers to celebrate the great achievements of the club from previous decades.

Thomas McKenna attended in his role as club treasurer. He was happy to be pictured with many of the gifted Crossmaglen footballers.

But there was no indication that he lived a secret double life as a serial pervert who preyed on young boys placed in his care.

One man who was present that night told us: “Thomas McKenna had complete control of the club’s arrangements. When the club was travelling, he dealt with all accommodation details.

“And of course, we all trusted him.

“There are huge lessons to be learned in this case,” he added.

Following McKenna’s guilty pleas, Judge Smyth told him: “By your guilty pleas, you have admitted a catalogue of terrible offences against vulnerable young men.

“You will be severely punished for that.”

Judge Smyth also paid tribute to McKenna’s victims who found the courage to come forward.

The case returns to court on November 7.