Secondary school student convicted for two aggravated sexual assaults
A Kerry teenager whose aggravated sexual assaults of two women within weeks included a threat to kill the second victim has today been jailed for 11 years by Mr Justice Paul Carney at the Central Criminal Court.
William Taylor (aged 18), of Fieries, Farranfore pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual assault of the first woman on July 30 and three further charges in relation to sexually assaulting the second victim on September 24, 2006, while using a knife and to threatening to kill her on the same occasion.
Mr Justice Carney said he believed "the only safe course" to ensure Taylor would not commit the same crimes again within weeks of being released would be to impose a life sentence, but noted that the Director of Public Prosecutions was not seeking to have a life sentence imposed.
"This is a case in which the DPP has responded to a request from me of his view regarding sentence," he said.
Prosecuting counsel, Ms Caroline Biggs BL, had earlier told Mr Justice Carney that the DPP regarded Taylor's offences as being in the higher range, but in view of the mitigating factors in the case they "fell into the middle range" as far as penalty was concerned.
Mr Justice Carney told defence counsel, Mr Anthony Sammon SC (with Mr John O'Sullivan BL, instructed by Mr Padraig O'Connell, solicitor) during the hearing of the evidence and related matters, that if he imposed a life sentence for the second offence, he would grant a certificate to appeal it.
Mr Justice Carney said that in imposing sentence, he was taking into account that the DPP was not seeking life and also Taylor's age, previous good character and guilty pleas.
He noted also judgements that a person could not be deprived of liberty on the apprehension that he or she might commit a crime in the future.
He said that the appropriate sentence for the July 30 aggravated sexual assault offence was one of eight years before discounting the mitigating factors in Taylor's favour which he was bound to take into consideration, so that the sentence in this matter would be six years.
Mr Justice Carney said that having regard to the fact that just over seven weeks later, Taylor attacked another woman using a knife and with "a credible threat to kill", the appropriate sentence in the absence of life imprisonment was 15 years.
He said that discounting all the mitigating factors as outlined, he imposed 10-year jail term for the threat to kill and 11 years for the aggravated sexual assault.
All the sentences are to run concurrently and Taylor is also to undergo 10 years of post-release supervision.
Garda Adrian Brennan told Ms Biggs that Taylor was a secondary school student when he broke into the victims' homes to commit his crimes, which have had a serious traumatic effect on the women.
Gda Brennan agreed with Mr Sammon that Taylor's guilty pleas were flagged in advance and were of assistance to the victims, one of whom said she was grateful she did not have to attend court to give evidence.
He agreed that Taylor was cooperative with gardaí and had difficulty expressing himself. He believed Taylor was not a very intelligent person, and was very immature with very little sexual experience at the time.
Gda Brennan said Taylor abided by very strict curfew conditions while on bail and was only allowed leave his house to attend school or for medical appointments. He also agreed with Mr Sammon that Taylor was "clearly distressed" at being before the court and was very remorseful.
Mr Sammon submitted that one report before the court suggested Taylor's capacity for "impulsive and compulsive" behaviour could be dealt with by appropriate treatment.
The second report showed he immediately expressed "remorse, shame and guilt" for his actions and said he was going to plead guilty because his offences were "the wrong thing to do".
