Former Sinn Fein press officer Michael McMonagle facing jail over child sex charges
Michael McMonagle, a former press officer with Sinn Fein, last week admitted a series of offences which included attempting to incite children to engage in sexual activity.
McMonagle, 42, was first arrested on August 19, 2021, while he was working for Sinn Fein at the Northern Ireland Assembly.
In response to questions from the Sunday World, Sinn Fein said McMonagle informed the party about his arrest the following day and was “immediately suspended” from his job and party membership.
However, in September 2022, while the police investigation into his then alleged crimes continued, McMonagle was appointed as the Communications and Engagement Manager for the British Heart Foundation (BHF) in Northern Ireland.
Now it has been revealed senior Sinn Fein press officers Sean Maguire and Caolan McGinley provided McMonagle with references for that job.
When asked if Sinn Fein had been contacted to provide a reference for McMonagle, a spokesperson for the party said: “Following this inquiry, Sinn Féin was made aware that, three months after his employment ended, two former work colleagues were asked for work references in relation to their assessment of Michael McMonagle’s work as a press officer.
“Both provided these references without clearance from Sinn Féin. This was unacceptable and wrong.”
The Sinn Fein spokesperson said the references were “not provided by, or on behalf of Sinn Féin”.
“Permission was not sought, nor would it have been given from the party for the provision of these references or their content.
“In view of the serious nature of this revelation, Sinn Féin undertook an immediate internal process.
“Before this process concluded, both press officers resigned from their positions and party membership with immediate effect.”
The details of the charges faced by McMonagle were first revealed in July 2023.
A BHF spokesperson this week said an article in the Sunday World in July 2023 was the first time they became aware of McMonagle’s arrest and the charges he faced.
“The individual was immediately suspended and is no longer employed by the charity,” said the BHF spokesperson.
The Sunday World says it asked the charity specifically what references had been sought for McMonagle prior to his appointment with the BHF.
They did not answer this question, but the BHF spokesperson added: “Prior to a colleague joining us we require them to provide two professional references and complete an identification check, as part of the Right to Work check.
“All our colleagues also receive mandatory safeguarding training.
“We have robust recruitment and safeguarding processes to ensure we’re creating a safe and rewarding organisation for our colleagues, volunteers, and supporters.”
In February 2023, McMonagle was pictured carrying a BHF banner at Stormont as part of a delegation raising awareness about the Dáithí’s Law campaign.
The campaign was launched in support of seven-year-old Belfast boy Dáithí MacGabhann who has been on the heart transplant waiting list since 2018.
Its aim was to push for a change in legislation which states all adults will be considered potential organ donors unless they choose to opt out or are in an excluded group.
The BHF-supported visit to Stormont in February 2023 was organized to enlist the support of MLAs for the campaign.
As a result of the public and political pressure, Northern Ireland Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris introduced Dáithí’s Law in June 2023.
McMonagle, from Limewood Street in Derry, failed to turn up in court in August 2023 for his first appearance in relation to the child sex offences.
It later emerged he was not in court because he had been taken by ambulance to Altnagelvin Hospital.
The PSNI arrested him at the hospital and he was brought to the courthouse in Derry.
He stood in the dock, his throat covered by a large medical dressing, and spoke only to confirm his identity and to say that he understood the charges against him.
He initially faced three charges but a further 12 offences were later added to his list of crimes.
These included attempting to incite two children to engage in sexual activity.
He was also accused of 13 counts of attempted sexual communication with a child.
All of the children contacted by McMonagle were under the age of 16, with some younger than 13.
The offences related to various dates between May 2020 and August 2021.
During his first court appearance, police opposed an application for bail on the grounds McMonagle could self-harm or fail to attend future court hearings.
However, his solicitor assured the court McMonagle would attend court, and described him as a man of “exemplary background”.
He was released on bail.
McMonagle pleaded guilty to the offences at Derry Crown Court last Monday.
He had been due to appear in court the previous Friday but the hearing was adjourned after it emerged McMonagle had been found unconscious and taken to hospital.
When he was re-arraigned in court this week, McMonagle spoke to confirm his name and address and date of birth.
When the charges were put to him, he pleaded guilty to 14 of the 15 offences.
A prosecution barrister said another charge was being left on the books.
The court was told that a pre-sentence report would be prepared and a psychological assessment would be carried out.
Following his admissions, McMonagle was also placed on the sexual offenders register.
Before releasing him on bail, Recorder of Derry Judge Neil Rafferty KC said it was likely a prison sentence would follow.
The case was adjourned for sentencing on November 8.
Before he started working for Sinn Fein in 2014, McMonagle was a reporter with the Derry Journal for ten years.
He initially worked in Sinn Fein’s press office at the Northern Ireland Assembly for two years before moving to the media team looking after the party’s representatives at the European Parliament.
He was also a regular contributor to the republican newspaper An Phoblacht.
In 2018, McMonagle moved to London to work as a communications officer with the Sinn Fein team at Westminster.
He returned to Stormont in 2019 and continued to work there until he was suspended from Sinn Fein following his arrest.
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