Courts / Dublin / Report
Man with serious lung condition avoids jail for abusing cousin 40 years ago
Summary
A 59‑year‑old man who sexually abused his cousin between 1979 and 1982 was arrested when he returned to Ireland after living abroad. He pleaded guilty to three counts of indecent assault at his cousin's Dublin home. The court noted he had serious lung disease requiring regular operations and a reduced life span, and therefore suspended the entire headline sentence of four to five years, giving him a three‑year suspended sentence. He had no prior convictions, a long work history and many references. The victim, aged six to nine at the time of the abuse, reported the incidents to Gardaí in 2023 and did not attend the sentencing hearing. The judge highlighted the seriousness of the offences and the fear they caused, but deemed imprisonment unfair due to the defendant's medical condition. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Man with serious lung condition avoids jail for abusing cousin 40 years ago. Charges or matters: three counts of indecently assaulting his cousin at her home address in Dublin on dates between January 1979 and December 1982. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- January 1979 Hearing Or Sentence
- December 1982 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2024-03-20 Publication
Why: In a ruling at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court today, Judge Martin Nolan sentenced the man to three years but suspended it in full, because of the defendant's serious lung condition. CNI source report
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Charges: three counts of indecently assaulting his cousin at her home address in Dublin on dates between January 1979 and December 1982 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: A man who sexually abused his cousin more than 40 years ago and was arrested when he came back to Ireland to visit relatives has been given a suspended sentence. In a ruling at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court today, Judge Martin Nolan sentenced the man to three years but suspended it in full, because of the defendant's serious lung condition.
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