Man (72) jailed for second time over abuse of ex-partner’s sons

An elderly Dublin man who spent time in jail for indecently assaulting two brothers has returned to prison to serve a further year for similar abuse of a third brother.

The 72-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told gardaí he was so drunk he could not recall sexually abusing his victim in the early 1980s.

The court heard the man would invite the then seven-year-old into his bed when he knew nobody else was in the house and rub his penis off the child’s backside.

He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to six counts of indecently assaulting the victim at a location in the city on dates between September 1981 and October 1982.

He received a four year prison sentence in 2012 for indecently assaulting the two other brother in a similar manner.

Judge Elma Sheahan said these were serious offences which involved a breach of trust. She noted the plea of guilty, his expression of remorse and the fact of the late complaint. She said, however, it was understandable why the complainant was not in a position to come forward earlier.

Judge Sheahan imposed a four year sentence and suspended the final three years.

‘Empty’

Prosecution counsel Gerardine Small BL read out a victim impact statement in which the man, now in his 40s, described himself as “empty, lost and sad” after experiencing abuse as a child.

He said the indecent assaults meant that he has never been able to hug or kiss his children goodnight without feeling that he was doing something wrong. He revealed that as a result it had always been easier not to show them affection.

The man said he did not know if his alcoholism was the result of being abused but his drinking had cost him a job and that he cried regularly when he was alone.

Garda Paul Flood told Ms Small that the 72-year-old had been in a relationship with the victim’s mother and introduced heavy alcohol consumption to their house. After each indecent assault the man would give the child money and tell him to go play outside.

Garnet Orange SC, defending, said his client had €5,000 in cash to offer his victim as a token of remorse.

Mr Orange asked Judge Sheahan to have regard to the fact his client had already served a sentence on similar matters. He submitted that the man looked older than his 72 years and this was the “legacy of a lifetime of alcoholism”.