Nine-year sentence for 'skilful and careful' sex predator
A “skilful and careful predator” who sexually abused his daughter, cousin and young sister-in-law has been given a nine-year sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court by Judge Patrick McCartan.
The 43-year-old man, who can not be named to protect the identity of his victims, pleaded guilty to sample counts of sexual assault and indecent assault against his daughter in the family home and a friend’s house on dates between 1998 and 2003.
He further pleaded guilty to counts of indecent assault against his cousin in 1986 and sister-in-law in 1990.
The children were between nine and 14 years old when they were abused.
Judge McCartan told the man he had watched him as his daughter got into the witness box to give read her “heartrending” victim impact statement and noted “there was not a flicker of reaction”.
“I cannot understand how you can do it, the cold look on your face as she walked past you,” he said. “I have not seen or heard a word of remorse to his daughter, sister-in-law or the young man he preyed upon.”
He said the man was a “skilful and careful predator who picked on those who were vulnerable” and had “let the case run to the court room door”.
“I believe it is of significance that he did not enter a guilty plea until the trial date and it was clear that those he had wronged against were going to give evidence against him.”
He noted the man’s attitude to the circumstances his abuse had created and that his estranged wife and children had been “forced out” of the family home where he remained requiring them to leave their schools and friends.
He imposed a sentence of nine years for the abuse of his daughter, three years for the abuse of his sister-in-law and four years for the abuse of his cousin, all to run concurrently, and suspended the final three years.
The man’s daughter, in her victim impact statement, told Judge McCartan that throughout her childhood she had always been worried about other children who came to the house and tried to protect them from her father.
She said that as a result of leaving the family home she had to give up many things that were important to her and change the plans she had for the future.
She said she was always trying to make excuses for her father’s absence but thanked her mother’s family for their support.
The man’s cousin, reading his victim impact statement, said the man had abused him at a very vulnerable time in his life and he had wanted him to stop but the only thing he could do was block out what was happening.
He suffered panic attacks, broken relationships and had self-harmed.
He said having to go into court for the trial only to have the man plead guilty had put him back. He said: “He has no thought at all for what he has put us through”.
His sister-in-law’s statement, which was read to the court, said her earliest memories of the man were when he came to the house as her sister’s boyfriend and she liked and trusted him. He later took to embarrassing her in public which she felt was an effort to undermine her confidence.
She said the man “constantly manipulated situations for his own benefit” and the run up to the trial had been very difficult. She said her trust in older men had vanished and she feels they are a threat to her.
Det Gda O’Neill agreed with defence counsel, Mr Felix McElroy SC, that the man had spent two years attending the Grenada Institute and had waived his right to privilege on documents relating to therapy.
Mr McElroy said the man had no previous convictions and had suffered abuse himself in childhood. He said the Grenada Institute had assessed him to be at a low risk of re-offending.
He said the late guilty plea had been as a result of him coming into the case late as counsel.
