'True predator' jailed for seven years for 30 counts of sexual abuse of four girls

He pleaded guilty in 2002 to attacks on 10 of these victims and received a prison sentence of nine years with two suspended. While being interviewed by gardaí, he denied sexually assaulting three other children.

He continued to deny these offences during a trial at the Central Criminal Court last March but a jury convicted him of 30 counts of sexual assaults of these three girls and a fourth girl.

The Dublin man cannot be named to protect the identities of the victims, some of whom wish to maintain their statutory anonymity.

Passing sentence today, Ms Justice Tara Burns described the man as “a true predator”. She said he offered the victims an easy-going place of refuge and bribed them with money, cigarettes and jewellery.

Ms Justice Burns said he then “pounced and subjected them to his insidious sexual activity”. She said he was careful not to go too far and cause them to “abandon his lair”.

She said the case was aggravated by the age of the victims, the length of time over which the abuse occurred, the grooming of the girls, his lack of remorse, his previous convictions for sexual offending and his exploitation of the situations and vulnerabilities of the victims.

Ms Justice Burns said that in light of the fact that the case dealt with four separate victims, she had decided to impose consecutive sentences, which came to a total of seven years.

The court heard the man has been convicted in both Ireland and the UK for burglary offences. He was extradited from the UK to face trial and has been in custody since March 2018.

At a previous sentencing hearing, a local garda agreed with Giollaíoda Ó Lideadha SC, defending, that while his client was in the UK he worked at a homeless charity centre. The garda agreed that no charges have been levelled against the man arising from this period.

Mr Ó Lideadha said his client was subject to a very substantial prison sentence relating to the previous offences of sexual assault. He said that his client did a course while in custody which led to him “fully recognising that what he did was wrong and resolving to never do it again”.

Victim Impact Statements

Paul Murray SC, prosecuting, told the court that while the first victim did not wish to make a victim impact statement, each of the remaining three women had made statements.

In her victim impact statement, which was read before the court by Mr Murray, the second woman said that for many years this affected her badly. She said she rebelled at home and got in trouble with the law.

The second woman said that she felt “dirty, sick and ashamed” of the person she is today for allowing this to happen to her.

The woman said:

I am not a victim anymore, I am a survivor.

In her victim impact statement, which was read before the court by Mr Murray, the third woman said that she sometimes hated herself for not telling anyone what happened to her at the time.

She said she was “so glad he has been found guilty of his disgusting crimes”. She said she was glad it was all over and done with and that she had gotten justice.

In her victim impact statement, which she read before the court, the fourth woman said that she turned to drugs at a young age and ended up in a number of abusive relationships.

She said she had suffered sleep paralysis and night terrors and had had to “dip in and out” of counselling since her early twenties. She said she was extremely over-protective of her daughter and does not let anyone else look after her.

She said the man had “robbed us all of our childhood and innocence”. She said he would “not hold any power over us ever again”.

Evidence

A local garda told Mr Murray that in relation to the first victim, the man was convicted of six offences of sexual assault in the period between May 1994 and May 2000.

The first woman gave evidence during the trial that the man would show her pornographic movies in the flat and would very often be naked. On one occasion he placed the victim's hand on his private parts.

The victim was paranoid about the size of her chest and the man told her that if he touched and massaged her chest, it would grow bigger. She went along with it as she knew no better, she testified.

Other assaults included the man rubbing his private parts against her backside and making her masturbate him. If the victim did not let him touch her, his mood would change and he would punish her for things for which she would not normally be punished.

The garda said that in relation to the second victim, the man was convicted of 17 offences of sexual assault in the period between February 1996 and February 2000.

The second woman began to stay in the man's home when she was around nine year's old and that she stayed in his home every two weeks.

The man would ask her to come into his bedroom and he would be naked. On occasions, he put his hands up the victim's top and down her trousers.

The garda said that in relation to the third victim, the man was convicted of six offences of sexual assault during the year 2000.

The third woman knew one of the other victims and told the trial that when she went to the flat the man would give her cigarettes and money.

The man assaulted by her forcing his hands down her trousers while she struggled and she could not leave as the door was locked. The woman did not tell anyone about what happened as the man told her if she did she would be killed.

The garda said that in relation to the fourth victim, the man was convicted of a single count of sexual assault on an unknown date in the period between February 2000 and February 2001.

The fourth woman was assaulted while staying over in the flat with the first woman. She woke up to find the man in the bed beside her with his hand down her bottoms and touching her private parts.

Ms Justice Burns sentenced the man to two years' imprisonment for the offences against the first woman, two-and-a-half years' imprisonment for offences against the second woman, two years' imprisonment for offences against the third woman and six months' imprisonment for the offence against the fourth woman.

She ordered that all sentences run consecutive to each other for a total effective sentence of seven years' imprisonment.

Ms Justice Burns concluded the sentencing by commending the women for their bravery. She said she hoped they can move forward with their lives and said they should be proud of themselves.