Courts / Waterford / Report
Former priest and school principal who sexually abused pupil loses appeal against conviction
Summary
Con Desmond, a former priest and school principal aged 79, was convicted of 13 counts of indecent assault on a boy at St Stephen's De La Salle National School in Waterford between 1978 and June 1980. He pleaded not guilty but a jury found him guilty and Judge Donagh McDonagh sentenced him to two years' imprisonment on each count, to run concurrently, on 19 February 2013. Desmond appealed on grounds of delay and conflicting evidence, but the Court of Appeal rejected the appeal. The court noted the first incident occurred in January 1978 when the boy, aged eight, was wet from cycling to school and was taken to Desmond's office by Brother Aengus. Desmond sexually abused the boy then, and the victim reported similar abuse on subsequent Saturdays. The appeal was dismissed after the court considered the evidence, the delay, and the absence of Brother Aengus, who had died years earlier.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Former priest and school principal who sexually abused pupil loses appeal against conviction. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- June 1980 Hearing Or Sentence
- February 19, 2013 Incident
- January 1978 Incident
- 2015-01-19 Publication
Why: The evidence was that his teacher, a Brother Aengus, had sent him to the principal's office possibly with a view to getting him dried off or sending him home because he was soaked, the judge said. CNI source report
Places mentioned
- Court of Appeal
- Waterford
- Waterford Circuit Criminal Court
- Kilrush Road
Topics
Sexual Offences Stage Appeal Violent Crime
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