Pensioner guilty of indecent assault

Letterkenny Courthouse.

A jury at Letterkenny Circuit Criminal Court took less than an hour to find a pensioner guilty on six counts of indecent assault against a teenager twenty-seven years ago.

The offences were committed at the accused’s home on dates between August 1989 and September 1990.
A unanimous verdict of guilty on all six counts was returned by the jury of seven men and five women at today’s sitting of the court.
They had heard evidence over three days of the accused inviting the then fourteen year old boy to his house and carrying out a sexual act on himself using a hoover. He had also pulled the victim’s tracksuit bottoms down and touched his penis.

On a separate occasion he had used a lubricant and then inserted what “seemed to be” a candle into the teenager’s anus. The victim told the court he has passed blood for a week afterwards as a result.

The jury also heard that the victim had abused alcohol for a number of years and had spent four weeks at the White Oaks Rehabilitation Centre to deal with his alcohol problems and he had been advised there to attend the Rape Crisis Centre.
He had subsequently attended five counselling sessions at the Rape Crisis Centre in 2012.

The jury took 57 minutes to record a verdict of guilty on all counts against the perpetrator who is in his seventies and cannot be named to protect the identity of the victim.

Today’s court heard that the man had one previous conviction for a “similar type offence.”

Judge Cormac Quinn was told by prosecuting counsel, Patricia McLaughlin B.L. that a Victim Impact Report would be required.
Defence counsel, Paul Flannery requested a Probation Report and a Psychiatric Report.

Judge Quinn granted the Probation Report but suggested that the defence’s solicitor would have to acquire the Psychiatric report.
The Judge remanded the man to the April 25th sitting of the Circuit Court on continuing bail for mention.
“It is a very serious matter,” he stated.

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