TWO east Belfast men who sexually abused young boys have been sentenced for "utterly squalid'' offences.
Mark Cuthbert (52), of Victoria Crescent, Donaghadee, Co Down, was handed a seven and a half year prison sentence at Belfast Crown Court followed by a further year on probation following his release from jail.
He pleaded guilty to five counts of indecent assault and six counts of gross indecency.
Gavin Cuthbert (47), with an address at John Street, Newtownards, Co Down, was given a nine year sentence after he pleaded guilty to six charges of indecent assault and eight counts of gross indecency.
He was told that he would serve half of the sentence in custody with the other half on supervised licence following his release from prison.
Mark Cuthbert was told he would serve seven and half years in custody followed by one year on probation.
The brothers were placed on the sex offenders' register for life and were placed on the barred list from working with children.
The prosecution told the court that the offences came to light in January 2016 when the first victim contacted police to say that in the early 1990s Mark Cuthbert had sexually assaulted him in bushes at Ormeau Park, Belfast, following a day out at the Ulster Museum.
Prosecution counsel Neil Connor QC said a second victim came forward to say that he lived in the same street as Mark Cuthbert in east Belfast and said he was abused by the brothers between the ages of 10 and 14.
He said Mark Cuthbert had "befriended'' the victim's parents and took him to Holywood Boys Football Club where was a coach.
Mr Connor said that following football games Cuthbert took him back to his brother Gavin's house in a neighbouring street where he sat naked on a sofa between them and was sexually abused.
During interviews with police, the victim said Mark Cuthbert warned him that if he told anyone about the abuse he would "kill him and his family''.
"As a result of that threat, the victim didn't tell anyone,'' Mr Connor told Belfast Recorder Judge David McFarland.
The complainant told police that between 1995 and 1999 he had been abused up to 50 times by the brothers.
In the case of Mark Cuthbert, the prosecution said it was a "breach of trust'' case as the parents had entrusted their son into his care.
A third victim came forward in 2015 and told police that Gavin Cuthbert had sexually abused him on eight occasions on day trips out to Mahee Island in Comber, Co Down.
The court heard Gavin Cuthbert would take the complainant on his motorbike to the beauty spot and sexually assault him. They would then go home and his abuser would stop off on the way to "buy him ice cream and crisps and gave him money''.
On other occasions, Gavin Cuthbert would take the victim up to attic in his third floor house and make the young boy perform sex acts on him.
Both brothers later had to flee the area, the court heard, following threats from local loyalist paramilitaries and moved to addresses in North Down and Ards peninsula.
