Courts / Dublin / Report
'A pain a child should never feel': judge pays tribute to three victims for coming forward about abuse
Summary
In a High Court hearing, Mr Justice Paul Burns sentenced Trevor Richardson, 49, to twelve years' imprisonment with the final two years suspended, after a jury found him guilty of 56 counts of sexual assault, including one oral rape, committed between 2000 and 2014. Richardson, who had been a father‑figure to two of the victims, was in a relationship with the mother of two of the girls. The victims, who waived anonymity, described abuse that involved touching genital areas, digital penetration, and forced oral sex. One victim recalled being forced to perform oral sex at age seven or eight and later describing a life of self‑harm and anxiety. The judge noted Richardson's lack of prior convictions, good work history, and alcohol abuse as mitigating factors, and ordered him to be supervised by Probation Services for three years after release. The case highlighted prolonged abuse and a breach of trust.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: 'A pain a child should never feel': judge pays tribute to three victims for coming forward about abuse. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Found guilty
When:
- January 1, 2000 Incident
- August 31, 2014 Incident
- 2023-05-23 Publication
Why: She described getting aggressive when she was drunk and hoping she would get arrested "because I knew I would be safer". CNI source report
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Finding: Found guilty
Outcome: Found guilty; Mr Justice Burns sentenced him to twelve years in prison and suspended the final two years under strict conditions including that he place himself under the supervision of the Probation Services for three years post-release.
Places mentioned
- High Court
- The Central Criminal Court
- Church Road
- Dublin
Topics
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