Sicko horse killer and convicted paedophile back in court facing raft of fresh charges
That charge stands out because in January we reported how the 25-year-old was continuing to trade horses despite being banned from keeping animals for seven years after he brutally knifed a horse to death.
He admitted to us he WAS trading horses but claimed he was complying with all court orders and had no contact with the animals.
McGurk – a pal of killer jockey Jonathan Creswell – is a convicted child sex monster who was jailed for 15 months three years ago for having sex with a child, having originally been charged with rape.
The horse trader was later convicted of a disgraceful and shocking attack on a horse which he stabbed to death with a knife in a revenge attack on another 'horsey set' pervert Harry Evans – claiming in court he was high on drink and drugs when he killed the poor animal.
Earlier this year we revealed how McGurk was not only expecting his first child with his new partner but also he was continuing to trade horses despite the ban.
Speaking through his solicitor in January, McGurk claimed that he had no contact with the horses he buys and sells.
Two weeks ago McGurk posted a picture on his Facebook account of his newborn baby sitting on a white horse.
Now we can reveal McGurk is due to appear at Dungannon Magistrates Court to face five driving charges.
The alleged offences, which are all dated to have taken place on January 11, are that he drove with a defective brake light, that as a learner driver he was driving without supervision, that he was not displaying L plates, that he breached a traffic sign and, finally, that he was driving a horsebox without a number plate.
And it's not the first time he has been caught driving illegally.
In 2021 he was caught driving without insurance, failing to provide driving documents to police, failing to display a rear number plate and using a trailer which was in a dangerous condition, presenting a risk of injury.
Despite spending a considerable amount of time behind bars for the sex attack on a teenage girl and for stabbing a horse to death, it seems McGurk has not learned his lesson and is continuing to flout the law.
'He said back in January he wanted a quiet life and left alone to live his life didn't he? Well if he didn't keep behaving like the law doesn't apply to him then he'd maybe be able to do that,' said a source who tipped us off about his fresh court date.
McGurk was sentenced to 15 months behind bars for having sex with a girl, who was under 15 at the time, after he'd been boozing and taking cocaine at a party in October 2019.
He had initially been charged with rape, which he denied, but pleaded guilty to charge of sexual activity involving penetration with a child.
He was on bail for the horse cruelty matter when he sexually assaulted that child, who told the Sunday World after he was jailed she finally felt 'free of shame'.
After he was jailed for that, he was dealt with for the twisted horse abuse. McGurk said he had been drinking with Harry Evans and claimed that Evans had stabbed the horse after becoming 'agitated'.
Police found Evans at his Magherafelt home, where he showed them a video sent to him by McGurk.
The distressing footage clearly showed the horse being stabbed and when McGurk was arrested he gave a 'no comment' interview. A vet provided a report on the severity of the injuries, confirming he had to be put down.
The judge said the attack on the horse was clearly an act of revenge. He added: 'Repeatedly stabbing that totally innocent animal which had the misfortune to be in the defendant's care was a profoundly evil act.
'I cannot begin to imagine the level of what that defenceless horse suffered involving extreme pain, fear and distress. One cut was very deep and probably caused its death.
'This wasn't a moment of madness. It was at least four moments of madness. Blood was pooling around that defenceless animal's feet. That level of evil cruelty is disturbing.'
McGurk was jailed for seven months and banned from owning any animal for seven years.
The news that McGurk is again trading horses and is cocky enough to have a picture taken with one is sure to dismay animal rights campaigners.
After he was jailed and banned from keeping animals for seven years, the USPCA released a statement calling for him to be banned for life.
'The individual in this case carried out a truly disturbing and malicious act of animal cruelty – a 'moment of madness' that resulted in the loss of an innocent animal's life.
'Whilst we welcome the seven-month prison term, we believe that the level of violence and brutality involved in this attack should face a lifetime ban from owning animals, not seven years.'
He recently moved into a property in Beragh and had started a relationship with a woman who runs a successful small business.
Mark McGurk
News in 90 Seconds - Thursday, July 31
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