Albert Burns receives restraining order for past abuse

A court has imposed a five-year restraining order on Albert Burns, a former police officer, for sexually abusing a teenage boy in the 1980s. Burns, who is now 91 years old and lives in Newtownabbey, did not attend the sentencing hearing due to health issues. Burns was given an absolute discharge regarding the sexual abuse but is prohibited from contacting his victim for five years. In January, a trial took place to investigate seven charges of indecent assault against him at Belfast Crown Court. During the trial, the court found that Burns suffered from dementia and could not understand the proceedings. The victim, who was aged between 13 and 15 at the time of the abuse, had not reported the incidents earlier because Burns had told him he would not be believed. The matter was reported to police in 2019. The abuse took place in the victim's home in County Antrim between January 1987 and January 1989. Burns denied all charges against him.