Paedophile Ex-police Officer Don Mackintosh Found Hanged after Court Appearance over Fresh Sex Abuse Allegations
By Neal Keeling
A paedophile former police officer has been found hanged just days after appearing in court to face fresh allegations of child abuse. Prolific abuser Don Mackintosh, a ex-sergeant in Greater Manchester Police, and church Boys’ Brigade leader was convicted in 1994 of a string of sex offences against young boys and sentenced to nine years in jail. Mackintosh, 71, was found hanged at his home on Calico Crescent, Stalybridge, by officers who broke in when neighbours reported he had not been seen for several days. Last week he appeared at Manchester Crown Court for a preliminary hearing accused of indecent assault against two boys dating back to the mid 1970s and 80s. He was due to appear again on December 5 for a plea and case management hearing and was scheduled to go on trial next May. Brave victim Andrew Brown has spoken out about how the former police sergeant abused his position of trust as an officer and church leader to subject him and other boys to horrendous sexual abuse. The latest allegations were made earlier this year and he first appeared in court in September. He was accused of ten counts of indecent assault and one of indeceny with a child. The allegations date back to 1975. Both of the alleged victims were boys under 14. In 1994 Mackintosh pleaded guilty to indecently assaulting five boys dating back to 1964. When the offences started he was a young police officer. By the time he was first questioned in 1993 he was a well-regarded sergeant with 31 years in the force. On arrest he opted to retire and took a ?52,000 golden handshake plus ?11,000 a year pension. Mackintosh, who also worked as an education welfare officer for Manchester council in the 70s, was also a lieutenant in the 59th Battalion of the Boys’ Brigade, based at Platt Lane Methodist Church, Fallowfield, where he abused his trust to pursue youngsters. He got away with his crimes for 25 years until one victim had the courage to come forward. This triggered a police investigation and other victims were traced. About a dozen men gave statements against Mackintosh and five were proceeded with. A relative of one his victims said today: ”Mackintosh admitted to being a prolific and predatory paedophile before the Crown Court. Up until then for decades by maintaining a falsehood of respectability as a police sergeant and boys brigade leader he subjected countless young boys to horrific sexual abuse, scarring them mentally for life. “But for the courage of my relative coming forward I have no doubt Mackintosh would have continued to be the habitual abuser of which he transpired to be.” Makintosh's sex abuse was covered up by church The abuse by ‘Big Mac’ as he was known to colleagues at Stockport police station could have been exposed FIVE years earlier but for a cover-up. In 1988 a boy attempted suicide after he was assaulted by Mackintosh and later told his parents. They alerted a church official but it was decided not to report the matter to police because the boys parents’ thought it would increase his trauma. Amazingly the church official’s son had also been a victim and that also went unreported. The Methodist church said that with only ‘hearsay evidence’ it was decided the ‘best course’ of action in 1988 was to ask Mackintosh to resign as an officer in the Boys Brigade. He also left the church. It was not 1993 that police were then alerted by another victim, Andrew Brown. Before going to court in 1994 to be sentenced Mackintosh, who then lived in Heaviley Stockport, at the time, confessed to the MEN: “I have brought shame on myself, my family, my church, and the police. I cannot express enough remorse for what occurred and now I just have to take what is coming to me. “It is difficult for me to understand why I did wrong. If was a huge mistake and probably and illness of sorts. I hope others can forgive me.”
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