Courts / Dublin / Report
73-year-old jailed for repeated rape of partner's niece over 11-year period
Summary
A 73‑year‑old man, John Dempsey Senior, was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment, with one year suspended, for repeatedly raping his partner's niece, Lillian Byrne, over an eleven‑year period between 1980 and 1991. Dempsey, who was 33 when the abuse began, groomed Byrne from the age of 12 and abused her throughout her teenage years, claiming to be her boyfriend and telling her they would run away together. Byrne, who was 12 at the time of the first rape, described the abuse as excruciating and said she did not realise it was sexual abuse until later. She made a victim impact statement in 2021, detailing the lasting effects on her life and family. The judge, Mr Justice Paul Burns, noted Dempsey's breach of trust and the repeated nature of the abuse, and set a headline sentence of 14 years, reduced to 10 years, with the final year suspended on strict conditions including probation supervision for three years. The unnamed 73-year-old pleaded guilty.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: 73-year-old jailed for repeated rape of partner's niece over 11-year period. Charges or matters: seven counts of raping Ms Byrne on dates between 1980 and 1991 at various Dublin locations. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- 1980 and 1991 Incident
- 2024-10-21 Publication
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Charges: seven counts of raping Ms Byrne on dates between 1980 and 1991 at various Dublin locations (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: A now 73-year-old man who "despicably" groomed and repeatedly raped his partner's niece over 30 years ago has been jailed for nine years. The judge suspended the final year of the sentence on strict conditions, including that Dempsey place himself under the supervision of the Probation Service for three years.
Places mentioned
- The Central Criminal Court
- had sat outside the garda station
- Dempsey place
Topics
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