Courts / Cavan / Report
Bus driver jailed for 15 years for rape of stepdaughter and abuse of children
Summary
A Cavan bus driver has been sentenced to fifteen years in prison following conviction for the sexual abuse of three children at the Central Criminal Court. Shane Costello, aged 49, from Hillview, Ballyhaise, was found guilty after trial in March of rape, oral rape and attempted oral rape of his teenage stepdaughter on dates in 2012 when she was between thirteen and fourteen years old. He had pleaded not guilty to two counts of rape, one of oral rape and three of attempted oral rape. Following the jury's verdicts, Costello subsequently pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting two other children on dates between 2001 and 2013. Justice Ní Raifeartaigh imposed nine years and nine months imprisonment for the offences against his stepdaughter, with consecutive sentences for the remaining charges totalling fifteen years. The court heard the stepdaughter, now nineteen, delivered a victim impact statement describing enduring trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder. Costello has previous convictions for assault causing harm from 1998.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Bus driver jailed for 15 years for rape of stepdaughter and abuse of children. Charges or matters: two counts of rape, one of oral rape and three of attempted oral rape on dates in 2012 when the teenager was aged between 13 and 14 years; sexually assaulting two other children on dates between 2001 and 2013. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Convicted
When:
- 2001 and 2013 Incident
- 2018-06-01 Publication
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Charges: two counts of rape, one of oral rape and three of attempted oral rape on dates in 2012 when the teenager was aged between 13 and 14 years; sexually assaulting two other children on dates between 2001 and 2013 (Proven)
Plea: Not guilty
Finding: Convicted
Outcome: Convicted; She imposed nine years and nine months in jail for his stepdaughter's abuse and consecutive sentences for the other offences, which brought the full prison term to 15 years.
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