An elderly man jailed for indecently assaulting four girls yesterday failed to have his four-year sentence reduced.
Dismissing the man's appeal, the Court of Criminal Appeal said it was clear the assaults, carried out when the victims were aged between six and 11, continued to affect all four in a disastrous way.
Earlier Ms Isabel Kennedy, for the 70-year-old assailant, said her client had pleaded guilty to 11 sample charges of indecent assault against the girls, including his three grand-nieces, in the years 1970-77. The offences involved digital penetration, threats and lewd discussion.
Ms Kennedy said she was not seeking to minimise the nature of the assaults. The appeal was on the grounds of her client's age and ill-health and the fact that his wife, who was some years older than him, lived alone and, in the circumstances, received no assistance from relatives.
Opposing the appeal, Mr Eanna Molloy, for the DPP, said all the matters raised by Ms Kennedy had been put before the trial judge, who was experienced in dealing with such cases. The trial judge had carefully weighed all the factors when determining sentence. The victims' relatives had expressed concern about the appeal.
Giving the court's decision, Mr Justice Lynch, sitting with Ms Justice McGuinness and Mr Justice Quirke, said the original indictment had included 56 charges of indecent assault against the victims and the appellant had pleaded guilty, only at the last minute, to 11 sample counts. The four-year sentence - one year for each of the four victims - was, if anything, lenient.