Courts / Dublin / Report
Grandfather jailed for sexual assault on granddaughter
Summary
A man in his mid‑seventies was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment, with the final six months suspended, for sexually assaulting his 10‑year‑old granddaughter in a Dublin house on 27 December 2016. He pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault. The court noted the offence was aggravated by a significant breach of trust and the age disparity. The judge, Sarah Berkeley, set a headline sentence of two years before reducing it for mitigating factors such as an early guilty plea and remorse. The victim's mother provided a victim impact statement describing the devastating effects on her daughter. The man had no prior convictions and had lost his family and social life. The case was prosecuted by Aoife McNickle, BL, and investigated by Detective Garda David Egan. The accused was arrested in November 2017 and denied the allegations. The court found the offence fell at the lower end of the spectrum for child sexual abuse.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Grandfather jailed for sexual assault on granddaughter. Charges or matters: two counts of sexual assault which took place in a house in Dublin on December 27, 2016. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- December 27, 2016 Incident
- December 29, 2016 Other
- November 2017 Incident
- 2023-11-14 Publication
Why: Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that the man, who is now in his mid-seventies and cannot be named in order to protect the identity of the complainant, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault which took place in a house in Dublin on December 27, 2016. Court evidence reported by CNI
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: two counts of sexual assault which took place in a house in Dublin on December 27, 2016 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: By Claire Henry and Fiona Ferguson A grandfather has been sentenced to 12 months in prison for sexually assaulting his granddaughter seven years ago while babysitting. Judge Berkeley sentenced the man to 18 months' imprisonment and suspended the final six months.
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