Courts / Limerick / Report
Retired taxi driver (78) who raped and abused daughters is jailed
Summary
Patrick Byrnes, 78, of Castletroy, Limerick, was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court after being convicted by a jury last July of 58 charges of indecent assault and two counts of rape. The offences, which occurred between 1975 and 1985, involved the sexual abuse of his two daughters when they were approximately seven years old. Byrnes denied all charges and maintains his innocence. Mr Justice Paul McDermott noted the victims lived in abject fear and were left broken by the decade-long abuse, which included instances where Byrnes encouraged a family dog to participate in sexual acts. The judge acknowledged Byrnes' health conditions, including heart disease and osteoarthritis, but stated these could be managed in prison. Citing a lack of remorse and refusal to admit responsibility, the judge identified Byrnes' age as the only mitigating factor. He set a headline sentence of nine years for rape and six years for sexual assault, reducing both by one year due to age. All sentences run concurrently. The judge suspended the final two years of the sentence on the condition that Byrnes is not in the company of any woman under the age of 18 unless accompanied by another adult. The complainants waived anonymity to ensure Byrnes was named, stating they will never forgive him.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Retired taxi driver (78) who raped and abused daughters is jailed. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Convicted
When:
- 1975 and 1985 Incident
- 2018-10-25 Publication
Why: "He beat me to a pulp because he said I looked like my mother," she wrote. CNI source report
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Finding: Convicted
Outcome: Convicted; He suspended the final two years of the sentence on condition that Byrnes is not in the company of any woman under the age of 18 unless accompanied by another adult.
Places mentioned
- Central Criminal Court
Topics
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