A Dublin man has been jailed for four years for sexually assaulting a young girl twice.
Gerard McGeehan (47), formerly of Clanmaurice Road, Donnycarney, was found guilty in February by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of two counts of sexually assaulting the girl in 1975 and 1982 when she was aged six and 12.
McGeehan had pleaded not guilty to 10 charges of indecent assault between October 1975 and September 1985.
Judge Michael White said the charges had been "vigorously contested" during the seven-day trial. It was exceptional for him to comment on a jury's findings, but he had found the victim to be a "searingly truthful" witness.
The jury found the defendant guilty by a majority verdict of 10-2 on two counts of indecent assault between October 1st, 1975, and June 30th, 1982.
It found him not guilty on five further charges, and failed to reach a decision on three counts.
Judge White earlier heard that the victim, who is related to McGeehan, waived her right to anonymity, and requested that the media name McGeehan.
The family of McGeehan broke down when Judge White imposed consecutive two-year terms on each of the two counts.
Det Garda Anna Lisa Hannigan told senior counsel Eanna Mulloy, prosecuting, that on a date between October 1st, 1975, and December 31st, 1975, the victim was sleeping in the same house as the defendant.
When she woke, crying and calling for attention, McGeehan came into her room naked. Det Garda Hannigan said the girl went into McGeehan's room and got into his bed. He started abusing her. He told her no one else was to do this to her as it was wrong, and that he was doing it because she was so beautiful.
On a date in 1982 the victim was in sixth class, and was given a lift home by McGeehan in a truck he drove for work. He stopped in a lay-by, and produced a pornographic magazine, exposed himself and again abused her.
The victim took the witness stand to tell Judge White that her childhood and life had been overshadowed by the assaults and clouded by depression. Her education suffered, and she felt she has not been able to reach her full potential. The defendant told her as a child: "You will hate me for this in the future."
Senior counsel Conor Devally, defending, said the trial had a profound effect on his client, who has a wife and two daughters. He had no previous convictions, and was 1 7 years old in 1975 and in his 20s in 1982.
Judge White said Mr Devally had made an "eloquent plea" on his client's behalf without acknowledging his guilt. In imposing two consecutive two-year terms, he said the offences had been a substantial breach of trust on a vulnerable child.