Leslie Ross: Niece speaks out about uncle's 'monstrous abuse'

The niece of a man who was once accused of being a serial killer has waived her right to anonymity to tell her story.

Debbie Ross says that as a child she was abused by Leslie Ross from Dromore, County Down.

The trial for the abuse was halted when he took ill and subsequently died.

In an exclusive interview with BBC News NI, Ms Ross, 54, said she hoped her decision would encourage other victims of abuse to speak out.

Leslie Ross died from cancer earlier this month

Debbie Ross who is from County Down but is now based in the United States, said her alleged abuser was "a monster".

Leslie Ross, 70, originally from Dromore, County Down, died before her allegations of sex abuse against him could be tested.

He had been facing 44 charges of sex abuse at a trial in Newry before he passed away.

His trial was stopped after he collapsed in the dock. He died in his flat in Newtownards on 8 November.

'Aggressive man'

Debbie said her uncle was a very aggressive man.

Speaking from her home in New York state, she said: "He was an absolute monster to have done what he did to me. I was very afraid of him. You were just terrified of him.

Dr Ross said she was speaking out to encourage other victims to follow her lead

"When he moved from grooming me to the more serious abuse, then I became a victim of his aggression.

"His general demeanour was one of a very violent man. He used to have a piece of wood that was two (inches) by two with nails sticking out of it. You could see that people were afraid of him."

The PSNI believe that if the sex abuse case against Leslie Ross had proceeded, he would have been convicted.

A memo from the PSNI sent this month to Debbie informing her that her uncle, Leslie Ross, had passed away, said: "I am sorry to have to tell you that Leslie Ross was found dead yesterday at 14:05 hrs in his flat at Newtownards.

"There were no suspicious circumstances involved in his death and... he had been ill over the past number of months.

"I regret that we never did have our day in court. I know in my heart we would have secured a prosecution in this case.

"I just hope that now, you can... find some sort of closure to this awful chapter."

Debbie said she was sexually abused by her uncle between 1969 and 1973, when she used to visit a pub owned by her grandparents in Castlewellan, County Down.

"I went from childhood to a complete loss of innocence with an adult. It was put to me that this (abuse) was uncle Leslie teaching me, that this was something that I needed to know and that he had been assigned to teach me."

As a result, she said she found it difficult to form adult relationships.

"Growing up, I felt as if I came from another planet. I did not consider myself being worth anything. I acted out badly and I did not trust any men."

After a troubled early life, the mother of four went into full-time education in her late thirties and graduated from Queen's University with a PhD.

In 2005, she emigrated to the United States where she now works as a senior research scientist.

Leslie Ross was cleared of charges that he murdered Margaret Weise and Michelle Bickerstaff

"As my understanding of the impact of the abuse grew, I felt I needed a fresh start. Moving to the States gave me a clean break," she said.

In March 2015, Leslie Ross was brought before Newry Magistrates' court for a preliminary hearing accused of murdering three former girlfriends but was eventually cleared of all the murder charges.

He was found not guilty of murdering Margaret Weise, 50, on 31 August 2007 and Michelle Bickerstaff, 47, on 21 April 2012.

He was also charged with the murder of a third former girlfriend, 52-year-old mother of one Lily McKee in December 2002, but that case did not go to full trial.

When Debbie saw the initial story online about her uncle being charged with the murders, she then contacted the PSNI in Northern Ireland and made complaints against him that led to the subsequent sex abuse case.

"The police came over here to New York to interview me and I made a formal complaint," she said, adding that the abuse case had a devastating impact on her younger sister, Karen.

Elizabeth McKee, known as Lily, was found dead in December 2002. Her case never went to full trial.

"My sister had apparently been a victim, but was not strong enough to make the charges, and I believe as a result of all this all coming back into our lives at this much later date, Karen took herself to bed, chose not to eat, and subsequently died."

Under the law, Debbie is entitled to have her identity protected, but she waived that right in the hope that her story will encourage other victims of abuse to come forward.

"I am disappointed that the court case did not happen, and that this did not get a chance to end the way it should have ended.

"But speaking (about it) is the next best thing I can do to encourage people who have suffered this abuse, even if it is historical. Do it for yourself, do it for your daughters and grand-daughters. Speak up."

She said she was relieved when she heard that Leslie Ross had passed away.

"At least he can't do it to anyone else and that was my main goal."