Former scout master pleads guilty to sexually assaulting 10 boys

David Barry pleads guilty to a total of 29 charges of indecent or sexual assault on boys

David Barry pleaded guilty when he was arraigned on a total of 29 separate indecent or sexual assault charges. Photograph: Michael Mac Sweeney/Cork Courts
David Barry pleaded guilty when he was arraigned on a total of 29 separate indecent or sexual assault charges. Photograph: Michael Mac Sweeney/Cork Courts

A 72-year-old former scout master has been remanded on bail after he pleaded guilty to indecently or sexually assaulting 10 boys at his Cork city home over a 22-year period.

David Barry from Montrose, Firgrove Crescent, Bishopstown, pleaded guilty when he was arraigned on a total of 29 separate indecent or sexual assault charges at Cork Circuit Criminal Court on Friday.

The complainants, who were all members of the Catholic Boy Scouts of Ireland, were all aged between 12 and 16 at the time of the offences which occurred between 1986 and 2008.

Barry replied "guilty, my lord" when each of the charges were put to him by the Registrar, David Power, sitting before Judge Sean Ó Donnabháin at the Anglesea Street courthouse.

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Defence counsel Tom Creed SC said he was seeking an adjournment to obtain medical reports from both Barry's GP and cardiologist as his client had a number of health issues. Mr Creed said that he had also applied for a psychological report from Aistear Psychological Services which he believed would be of assistance to the court and would be available within four weeks.

Cork city State solicitor Frank Nyhan, for the prosecution, said the State had no objection to such an adjournment as it needed time to obtain victim impact statements from the 10 complainants.

Judge Ó Donnabháin granted Mr Creed the adjournment and remanded Barry on continuing bail for sentence on June 25th, after hearing that the matter may take some time to hear on that date.

Barry Roche

Barry Roche

Barry Roche is Southern Correspondent of The Irish Times