Courts / Dublin / Report

No jail for care worker who filmed his sexual assaults on vulnerable residents

Date
2017-10-26

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Rathfarnham

County
Dublin

Summary

Peter Hilliard, 54, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two counts of sexual assault against vulnerable residents at Bloomfield nursing home between February 2013 and June 2016. The first assault was discovered when a colleague saw a video of Hilliard touching an elderly resident's breasts on his Facebook page. Garda Shane Whelan reported that the video also showed a male present during the assault. Following a search of Hilliard's devices, investigators found a second video of a similar attack on another resident. Hilliard had no prior convictions. After his arrest he expressed remorse and mentioned suicidal thoughts. The judge noted Hilliard's loss of employment and his engagement with counselling. A suspended sentence of 18 months was imposed, conditioned on Hilliard keeping the peace, attending weekly therapy, and remaining under Probation Service supervision for 18 months.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: No jail for care worker who filmed his sexual assaults on vulnerable residents. Charges or matters: two counts of sexual assault between February 2013 and June 2016 at Bloomfield nursing home, Stocking Lane, Rathfarnham, Dublin. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

February 2013 Incident
June 2016 Incident
2017-10-26 Publication

Why: He told gardaí that the mobile phone footage of the later assault was uploaded accidentally to Facebook because he didn't know how to operate his phone. CNI source report

Case subjects

Peter Hilliard

Defendant

Charges: two counts of sexual assault between February 2013 and June 2016 at Bloomfield nursing home, Stocking Lane, Rathfarnham, Dublin (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: He suspended a sentence of 18 months on condition that Hilliard keep the peace and attend a weekly therapy group.