Former Irish swim coach George Gibney guilty of historic abuse of girls

Isabel Hayes and Eimear Dodd

Former Irish national swimming coach George Gibney has been convicted of sexually abusing four girls over 50 years ago.

Decades after he first abused young swimmers under his care, a Central Criminal Court jury on Monday found Gibney, now 77, guilty of 39 counts of indecent assault and one count of attempted rape.

The jury acquitted him of one count of indecently assaulting one of the complainants on a date between 1976 and 1977.

Gibney went on trial on June 23rd last, referred to only as a sports coach in reporting the case. He can now be named upon his conviction.

He pleaded guilty at the outset of the trial to five counts of indecently assaulting one of the complainants

Gibney, of Breakwater Drive, Altamonte Springs, Florida, made no reaction as the guilty verdicts were handed down.

The jury deliberated for over seven hours following the 11-day trial. He will face a sentencing hearing on July 29th.

Gibney was extradited from Florida last year to face the historic allegations.

There were emotional scenes in court after the court rose, with three of the complainants hugging each other, as well as family members and gardaí.

Gibney was on trial for 74 charges, not including the five counts he admitted, but these were reduced to 41 counts by direction of the trial judge after the prosecution evidence was heard.

On Monday, the jury found Gibney guilty of 39 counts of indecently assaulting the four complainants on dates between 1971 and 1981 at various locations, including Glenalbyn swimming pool in Stillorgan and Trojans swim club in Newpark Sports Centre, Blackrock, Co Dublin. They convicted him of one count of the attempted rape of one of the complainants in a changing room at Newpark.

Gibney also abused some of the girls in his car while giving them lifts to and from swim training, in his home when they were babysitting his children, and - in the case of two complainants - in their own home.

The abuse took the form of kissing, inappropriate touching, digital penetration and forced oral sex.

In relation to the first complainant, Gibney was found guilty of 12 out of 13 counts of indecently assaulting her on dates between 1975 and 1977, with the court hearing that he first abused her at a club disco when she was around 13 years old. He also entered the five guilty pleas in relation to this woman.

He was found guilty of two counts of indecently assaulting the second complainant on two occasions between 1974 and 1979, when she was aged 11 and 13 respectively.

The third complainant was aged around eight years old when she testified that Gibney started “paying attention” to her. He went on to abuse her over a four-year period, culminating in his attempting to rape her in a changing room in Newpark in August 1975 when she was aged 12.

He was convicted of all 25 counts in relation to this woman.

Gibney was also convicted of the sole count of indecently assaulting the fourth complainant on a date between 1980 and 1981 when she was aged 13. The court heard he groped her in his car one day before she told him to get his hands off her.

Thanking the jurors for their service, Judge Mícheál O'Higgins said they had carried out their work with “great attention, diligence and tremendous care”. “It is very much appreciated,” he said.

He excused them from jury duty for a period of 10 years.

He remanded Gibney in continuing custody until his sentence hearing later this month. Defence counsel asked for a governor's report and medical reports to be prepared.

Victim impact statements will also be prepared.