A CONVICTED sex offender who was allegedly watching a group of children playing in the water at a Fermanagh country park at the weekend has been remanded in custody.

Robert John Liddle (70), of Moorlough Road, Drumgole, Lisnaskea, is charged with breaching a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) by being within 30 metres of a children’s play park and a marina at Castle Archdale, Lisnarick on Saturday, June 16.

Following his arrest at the weekend, Liddle was led into the dock at Fermanagh Magistrates Court on Monday.

He spoke only to confirm that he understood the charge against him.

A PSNI officer told the court he believed he could connect the defendant to the charge.

Defending solicitor, Grainne Mulligan, applied for bail on behalf of her client, but the application was strongly opposed by the PSNI due to the alleged risk of re-offending.

Outlining the background to the alleged breach, the police officer said that, on June 16, police received a report that a suspected sex offender had been observed in “close proximity” to young children at Castle Archdale.

The officer told the court that the reporting party had observed the defendant in the country park between 10.30am and 2.30pm.

The reporting party alleged that Liddle had been in the marina a number of times. On one occasion, he allegedly watched a group of seven children, aged between seven and 16, in the water while he was standing around a metre away.

The defendant was also seen sitting and eating ice cream on a bench located right beside a children’s play park.

He was subsequently arrested at 6.20pm that evening for allegedly breaching the SOPO and conveyed to Omagh police station.

While Liddle accepted being in Castle Archdale and admitted going into the shop and buying ice cream, he denied that he had been watching the children.

During cross-examination by the defence solicitor, the police officer confirmed that there had been a classic car exhibition at the country park on Saturday.

Objecting to bail, the officer pointed to previous breaches of the SOPO by the defendant and alleged that he had “no regard whatsoever” for the terms of the court order.

But the defence solicitor, Ms. Mulligan, told the court that her client had not come to police attention since February of last year. Arguing that he was a suitable candidate for bail, the solicitor said that Liddle was willing to abide by strict reporting conditions and could provide a surety.

However, district judge Michael Ranaghan observed that he had “no confidence whatsoever” that the defendant was a suitable candidate for bail, given his previous record.

Refusing bail and remanding him in custody, the judge adjourned the case until Monday, July 16.