Courts / Ireland / Report
'Monster' who subjected niece to 'catalogue of abuse' as a teenager is jailed for three years
Summary
A 59-year-old man was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court after pleading guilty to one count of attempted rape and four counts of indecent assault against his niece. The offences, which occurred between 1977 and 1984 when the victim was aged six to 13 and the defendant was aged 13 to 19, were described by the judge as a "catalogue of abuse" that inflicted "unspeakable trauma." Mr Justice Paul McDermott noted that while he would have imposed a 12-year sentence on an adult for the attempted rape, he reduced the term due to the defendant's age at the time. The judge acknowledged the man's guilty plea, genuine remorse, lack of previous convictions, and his otherwise positive life over the subsequent 40 years as mitigating factors. He handed down a global sentence of four years, with the final 12 months suspended on strict conditions. The sentence was backdated to March 11, when the man entered custody, and he was directed to place himself under the supervision of the Probation Services for two years post-release. The victim, in her impact statement, described the defendant as a "monster" and "predator," stating that his actions destroyed her childhood and that his apology was worthless. The court accepted that the defendant bears full responsibility for the consequences of his actions, which undermined familial trust and bonds.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: 'Monster' who subjected niece to 'catalogue of abuse' as a teenager is jailed for three years. Charges or matters: one count of attempted rape and four counts of indecent assault. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- March 11 Hearing Or Sentence
- 1977 and 1984 Incident
- 2024-03-15 Publication
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Charges: one count of attempted rape and four counts of indecent assault (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: by Eimear Dodd A "monster" who subjected his young niece to a "catalogue of abuse" when he was a teenager over 40 years ago, calling her "vile" names and inflicting "unspeakable trauma", has been jailed for three years. He said he would impose a sentence of 12 years on an adult in relation to the attempted rape count but would reduce it to four years as the man was aged between 13 and 16 at the time. "It is clear he knew what he was doing was wrong, given the secret way he went about it and the advantage he took of the absence of adults…he must have known he was hurting her as she was crying and begging him to stop," the judge said, adding that the abuse continued until the man was 19, an adult and working.
Places mentioned
- Central Criminal Court
- local garda station
Topics
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