Wicklow man jailed for historic sexual assault of two young girls
The Wicklow PeopleA man who sexually assaulted two young girls over several years has been sentenced to two years in prison.
Martin O’Neil (59), of Connolly Street, Arklow, County Wicklow, appeared before Wicklow Circuit Criminal Court for sentencing earlier this week.
He was found guilty at trial in October 2025 of nine counts of sexual assault. Eight of the counts related to Victim A and concerned incidents that occurred across four years in the 1990s when she was a school girl. The abuse stopped when she entered secondary school.
The remaining count related to Victim B and concerned an incident that occurred when she was 15.
Both victims chose to waive their anonymity and asked that the accused be publicly named.
Detective Garda Stephanie Hallahan, attached to An Garda Síochána’s Divisional Protective Services Unit in Wicklow town, testified that in the early 1990s the accused invited Victim A into his home under false pretences to retrieve a ball that he said had fallen down the back of a bed in a room in his home.
When she bent over to look for the ball, O’Neil got on top of her and grinded in a sexual manner.
On a second occasion, she recalled the defendant rubbing his genitalia over her clothing in the area of her vagina.
Counsel for the prosecution, James Kelly BL, remarked that this was the general nature of the offending, which occurred on a regular basis over a five-year period.
The court heard that although the offending stopped after she went to secondary school, the impact lasted throughout her teenage years.
However, the abuse led to her becoming highly sexualised as a youth, including exposing herself to a young man, for which she was “chastised” by her parents.
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Victim A began heavily drinking during her teenage years, and had told friends about the abuse. Some testified at trial.
In her victim impact statement, Victim A told the court that the abuse she suffered as a child had shaped much of her adult life. She said the experience left her feeling “angry, hurt and broken,” and described long-term struggles with self-esteem and trust in relationships.
Victim A said the trauma affected her mental health for many years, explaining that she lived with fear, shame and ongoing emotional distress.
She remarked that memories of her childhood had become difficult to access, describing how the abuse had taken away her sense of safety and normality.
Addressing the accused directly, Victim A said the abuse had impacted not only her own life but also her family relationships and future opportunities.
She told the court she continued to live with the emotional weight of what happened and that it had taken years of therapy and courage to speak publicly about her experience.
She also said that giving evidence at trial had been emotionally difficult but important, adding that she was proud to have stood in court and told her story.
Mr Kelly stated that Victim B was 15 when she was at a house in Wicklow and O’Neil asked her to retrieve something for him.
She went to his home, where she couldn’t find the item, but as she went to leave, the accused was standing in the hall. He pushed her into the sitting room, putting his hand on her throat and beginning to kiss her. He tried to spread her legs, but she kicked him, which caused him to slump.
Victim B ran from the scene. It was noted that she told her parents, but “nothing happened”.
In her victim impact statement, which was read by Mr Kelly, she stated: “I have nothing to say to you, Martin,” adding that the only person suffering now is the accused and his family, who were present in court to support him.
Counsel for O’Neil, Edmund Sweetman BL, stated that there was no suggestion that his client’s child was present or had any involvement. Detective Hallahan agreed.
The court was told that Mr O’Neil suffered from a stroke in 2014 and severe health complications, and that his “time in custody will be more difficult”.
Barrister on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) informed the court that the DPP considers O’Neil’s offending in the upper range of severity due to the deception used, the targeting of the victim, the force involved, and the fact that it was related to sexual abuse.
During the plea in mitigation, Mr Sweetman stated that O’Neil doesn’t accept the findings of the jury but will not lodge an appeal and will comply with whatever sentence the court hands down.
“That’s it, it ends now, the victims won’t be troubled anymore,” said Mr Sweetman.
A report for the defendant’s carer, outlining the level of care he requires, was submitted.
It indicated that he needs assistance with his legs, showering, dressing, and a physiotherapy plan.
Judge Patrick Quinn handed down a sentence of two years and nine months, with the final nine months suspended for a period of 12 months.
Mr O’Neil’s wife could be seen crying after the sentence was handed down.