Jail for man who defiled special needs child

A 44-year-old man who pleaded guilty to the defilement of a special needs child at a number of locations, including the grounds of a Catholic church, was sentenced to a total of four years in prison at the Circuit Criminal Court in Castlebar today (Tuesday).

Imposing a seven-year sentence with the final three years suspended, Judge Seán Ó Donnabhaín said that the age difference involved and the fact that the victim's vulnerability was known to the accused were significant aggravating factors.

The offences were committed in a west of Ireland town over a period of time in 2015. The accused cannot be named in order to protect the identity of his female victim who was aged 13/14 at the time.

Outlining a number of instances of child defilement, a garda sergeant gave evidence that the accused had unlawful sexual intercourse at a number of locations, including the interior of a derelict house, in a shed and in bushes outside a parish church.

The DNA of the accused was found in a condom recovered from the scene of where one of the incidents took place.

In a victim impact statement read to the court, the victim said that as a result of the incidents she feared staying at home alone and would lock the doors. One of her family would have to accompany her to school.

“I felt everyone was talking about me,” the statement continued. “I felt a prisoner in my own home. I have lost out on my teenage years and I will never get them back.”

Pleading for leniency, defence counsel, Mr. Michael Bowman, S.C., said the accused had owned up and took possession of his wrongdoing. He had also entered an early guilty plea.

Imposing sentence, Judge Ó Donnabhain said it had to be acknowledged that the early plea had been of significant benefit to the State in its prosecution of the case.

However, the judge added that the case was 'extremely' serious as it involved the violation of a child by a grown-up.

The fact that the accused had engaged in violating his victim on a repeat basis was also a significant aggravating factor, the judge noted.