A teenage sex offender who smashed up the home and car of his victim's grandparents fled from court after his two and a half year custodial term was suspended for three years.
Robert Warren Bates, the grandson of Shankill butcher Robert 'Basher' Bates, pulled his hood over his face and sprinted to a waiting van to avoid having his picture taken by media photographers, minutes after the suspended term was imposed at Belfast Crown Court.
Bates, with an address at Matchett Street in Belfast, but who has since fled to Merseyside amid threats to his life, had pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated burglary with intent to cause criminal damage and causing criminal damage on April 2nd last year.
The court heard that the home, which cannot be identified to protect the identity of the sex abuse victim, belonged to the little boy's grandparents.
Prosecuting lawyer Philip Henry told the court how Bates, who got a years youth conference order in January last year for three counts of sexually assaulting the boy, flew over from Belfast and got a taxi driver to stop at B&Q where he bought a sledge hammer, a hatchet and paint stripper before going to the house.
After pouring the paint stripper over the couples' car, causing almost £5,000 of damage, Bates began beating the front door down with the sledge hammer.
Mr Henry said while there was no official estimate of the damage caused, he agreed with Judge Geoffrey Miller QC that it would have run into "several thousands of pounds".
Police who arrived at the scene found Bates outside the house with the weapons still in hand and the officer drew his gun as he felt that his CS spray "would be inadequate".
Arrested and interviewed Bates made full confessions about what he had done.
The lawyer said the only offence on Bates' criminal record was the sexual assaults of the couples' grandson which occurred when Bates himself was around 13-years-old but which only came to light in 2006.
During his sentencing remarks, Judge Miller described how Bates had acquired a "standing" in north Belfast as a representative for young people, liasing between rival communities in the interface area.
The judge said while the offence warranted a custodial sentence, he felt he could suspend it because of work Bates had already undertaken with probation, his guilty pleas and remorse.
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