Orangeman convicted of stalking woman blamed IRA bomb for creepy behaviour

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/orangeman-convicted-of-stalking-woman-blamed-ira-bomb-for-creepy-behaviour/a1251493459.html

An Orangeman convicted of stalking a young woman blamed one of the Troubles’ worst atrocities to explain his creepy behaviour.
Raymond Newell, who recently pleaded guilty to stalking a woman less than half his age, claimed he had tried to save a dying soldier at the scene of the Ballygawley bus bomb in 1988, which killed eight soldiers and left 28 more wounded.

Newell, who was 14 years old at the time, said the soldier “died in his lap” and he also “lifted arms and legs” blown off by the bomb.

He brought up the bomb while trying to justify his campaign of harassment against a young woman he knew from playing in a loyalist band.

Members of the Omagh Protestant Boys Flute Band were first on the scene of that atrocity as they returned from a parade in Portadown but it’s not clear if children were allowed off the band’s bus and if Newell did what he claims.

After asking out a friend of his victim for a “meal”, he goes on to explain: “I seen a lot of sh*t during the Troubles… the Ballygawley bus bomb I tried to save a dying soldier that night but he died on my lap.”

As revealed here last month, 50-year-old Newell made the life of the young woman and her family hell as he persisted in contacting her on social media.

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He hid in bushes and stared into the home of his victim for hours and when cops raided his house they found a pair of binoculars set up to look straight into their house.

But he also contacted the victim on social media and repeatedly sent unwanted messages and stood outside her home while drunk and shouting that he “loved her”.

Newell, who is currently in prison for breaching his bail conditions, was due to be sentenced on Tuesday at Omagh Magistrates Court but the case was adjourned until this week to allow for further reports.

The family of his victim say they are concerned that Newell – who they say is a born liar – is claiming fake sob stories to get him a lighter sentence after he almost destroyed their family.

Raymond Newell
Raymond Newell

Among his bizarre lies are claims the young victim he stalked had been a great support to him during his struggles with PTSD, which he says he suffers as a result of coming upon the scene of the bus bomb.

In a number of long and repeated messages to the victim’s mum, Newell claims he “needed” her daughter because she was helping him with his struggles with his PTSD.

“People did try to cure me from PTSD but I thought [name of victim removed] was God’s angel in ways she was doing things… Yes I admit to cuddling into [name removed] one night after a parade in Portadown for I was taking a turn to it and I needed her, not to go out with her but I put my faith into her.”

However, the family say the young woman has NEVER even had a conversation with the creepy Orangeman.

In one message to her family, Newell states: “I was involved in the Ballygawley bus bomb if you remember that when I was 14 [name removed] I was with Omagh protestant boys that night and I seen things like in a horror movie… you need to tell her she made a impact on me it was friendship not love. She is too young for me.”

Newell also claimed repeatedly he was subjected to a “bad sectarian beating” about 25 years ago at a bar in Omagh but it’s understood Newell was attacked by members of another band after he was harassing another member.

In a message to the victim’s family, Newell claims: “Then another 11 years later I took a bad sectarian beating at the swinging bars on the hospital Road.

“I died twice that night and I woke up in Altnagelvin hospital with fractures had my ear cut off I even had a cage around my head.”

It’s understood Newell has been kicked out of several loyalist bands for his overbearing and creepy behaviour.

Incredibly, the disturbing stalker sent the mother of his victim a faked invoice from Omagh Magistrates Court demanding she pay two sums of cash totalling £850 in compensation for her daughter, the woman he was stalking, assaulting Newell.

No such assault ever took place.

Newell alleged one of the assaults took place in London while the band were on a trip but the police were able to check CCTV footage to show no such incident occurred while other band members gave statements to say she was nowhere near Newell.

“Part of the £850 compensation on the fake invoice stated she owed £300 for failing to cooperate with the PSNI but what would the PSNI be doing getting involved with an assault in London?” a family member told the Sunday World.

Newell, from McClay Park, admitted a charge of “engaging in a course of conduct amounting to stalking which caused the injured party to suffer fear, alarm or substantial distress on various dates between December 2022 and 3 January this year”.

He was charged using new stalking legislation which only came into force two years ago.

Newell was arrested outside the injured party’s place of work on January 3 and a search of his home recovered a pair of binoculars from his bedroom which faced towards the injured party’s home.

As it was not possible to interview him at that stage, he was released on bail.

Leading Omagh Orangeman Raymond Newell
Leading Omagh Orangeman Raymond Newell

Within hours, police received a report of Newell standing outside his home shouting that he loved the injured party and directing abuse towards her mother.

He was drunk and began smashing bottles around his property.

A family member told us last month: “He almost tore our family apart. Raymond watched the woman’s mum’s house almost constantly in case she turned up for a visit.”

Last night a family source told the Sunday World they feared Newell would feed a sob story to the court to get a lighter sentence.

“The wee girl he tortured just wants this all over with, she’s completely fed-up but fears if he gets out he’ll start it all up again,” they told the Sunday World.

“Raymond is warped in the head. God only knows what crazy stories he has invented to tell his family and friends about all of this.

“To many people Raymond is a civil wee man who wouldn’t do you any harm but he’s the complete opposite after what he has put this family through.

“He’s an evil wee creep who uses PTSD as an excuse to do what he wants and thinks he’s above the law.

“The [victim’s] sister with autism is very well known in the local band scene for her enthusiasm and enjoyment of the flute bands. Many local band members are very kind to her and always come and say hello to her.

“Some even have given her band T-shirts and flags and DVDs etc. A local band also allows her to march with them when they parade their hometown and this makes her night, so it’s so disheartening that Raymond has brought so much shame on the band scene and lodges.

“He is very aware of how vulnerable she [the victim’s sister] is and he completely preyed on her also. She will still not come to her mother’s house due to fear of him standing watching the house.

“Also the way he opened the window and played the flute and marched around the room in her mother’s opinion was for no other reason other than to try to lure her up knowing how vulnerable she is.

“Seven hours after he was released on bail he stood shouting, ‘I’m going to kill you all for taking me to court’ and smashing bottles around his house shouting that he loved the victim.

“This has completely terrified [the victim’s] youngest sister and even nine months later she still has nightmares and can’t sleep alone.”