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AN ELDERLY MAN who admitted molesting and trying to rape his niece with special needs has received a sentence of 12 years with six suspended.
The 75-year-old man, who cannot be named to protect the victim’s anonymity, tried to rape the young teenager ten years ago. In her victim impact report the now adult woman said she was still afraid of the man and that her plans for her life changed as a result of the abuse.
The man pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to attempted rape and the sexual assault of the child at a place in county Cork on unknown dates between 2005 and 2008. The victim was aged between 11 and 14 at the time.
He also admitted attempted rape of the victim at a place in County Limerick on an unknown date between 2011 and 2012 and sexually assaulting her on December 23, 2011. He has no previous convictions.
Co-operation with gardaí
Mr Justice Tony Hunt said that the man’s co-operation with gardaí and his early guilty plea would normally entitle convicts to one third of their sentence being suspended. He said he would give this accused extra credit due to his age and previous good behaviour.
He suspended the final six years of the 12 year sentence on condition that he keep the peace for the suspended period and that he have no contact with the victim in perpetuity. An assessment of the accused by the Probation Services was handed into the court.
The investigating garda told Martina Baxter BL, prosecuting, the victim was functioning on the mild intellectual disability range and was currently in residential care with the HSE. In 2011 she disclosed the sexual assaults to a social worker.
After his arrest the man admitted all of the offending and told investigators that the girl was telling the truth.
Special needs school
He admitted touching her breast and trying to have sex with her. In one incident she had come home from her special needs school and was still wearing her school uniform when he tried to rape her in the hallway of the house.
He told gardaí he knew it was wrong. He agreed that he had sexually exploited her and knew he would be caught sometime.
The court heard he molested her and tried to rape her while she was in a bedroom in her grandparent’s home. He also sexually groped her in the back of car which was travelling to her grandparent’s home.
In a victim impact report read into court by the investigating garda, the woman wrote:
I did like myself before and I liked my plan in life. I don’t like myself now. I keep saying, why did it happen? There’s no solution as to why.
She said she still imagined him in her bedroom and sometimes felt that “he is walking on my grave”.
Sometimes I feel sad and I want to hurt myself. I want to jump in the river sometimes.
Mary Rose Gearty SC, defending, said her client was a single man who had never married and had never been in a sexual relationship with a woman. She submitted that a jail sentence would be more difficult for a man of his age.
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Why six suspended ? We have to care about him because of his age ? Did he care about his victim because of her age ?
He should rot in prison until death plain and simple.
Totally agree, logic of the “justice system” sometimes eludes me.
Well said , f m
At least its an improvement on the singing priest only getting 1 year. He should have to spend the suspended part with a tag that that doesn’t let him out on the street or or within 50 metres of a child.
Oh for F*CKS SAKE 6 years suspended??? WA*KERS
If he gets 12 years he should serve 12. Good behaviour advancing age all that crap should only be considered on the severity of the case. You can’t get much worse than this creature
Am I the only one who considers sexual offences especial against children to be worse than murder? We should have gulags for these types to rot in, and that’s only the ones not getting the chair. While attitude in our “justice” system is bollixed.
Suspending the sentence by half mean this vile piece of excrement will serve 3 years when taking into consideration of good behaviour. Hope this evil c@nt dies suffering
He will serve 4.5 years (25% remission)
If he gets 12. He should serve 12. Good behaviour and all that crap the courts spout should be considered on the severity of the case. And you don’t get much worse than that
Previous good behaviour, ie wasn’t caught before. Fcukin animal
Disgraceful. Hopefully he will rot in there
Suspended???????. What justice is this? The law is an ass in Ireland!
No one knows what this child went through its not right just because he owned up to the abuse he gets most of the jail term suspended I think he should be let rot behind bars . Evil bast.rd
He only admits everything after being arrested. So you can be a complete b@stard, but if you get caught be sure and tell the truth so we’ll go easy on you. Disgraceful.
B* stard
S(umbag. He says sorry because he got caught and gets half his sentence cancelled. Some justice.
Sentenced to 12 years in prison : proper order.
Likely facing 4.5 years : an insult.
He admitted his offences. He did not plead ‘not guilty’ and put the victim in the witness box and force her to give evidence which could have been challenged by his counsel, maybe getting him off because of ‘reasonable doubt’ about her evidence. Give the judge credit for following the sentencing guidelines and not imposing a sentence which would have been reducd on appeal.
A suspended sentence means he would only be reimprisoned is for a criminal act. Being such a well behaved pedophile, the only crime he’s likely to do is rape another child, creating another victim.
Previous good behaviour? Six years suspended is a disgrace he should be locked away until the end of his days with his genitals removed. Just because he has no previous convictions does not mean he hasn’t done this before, absolute monster.
12years six suspended wtf Should be locked in a cage and never let out
He gets 6 years, she gets life. Is there ever justice for the victim?!
Why did it happen? Because you did it. How much did he not get caught for?
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