Former principal of Waterford national school guilty of sexually abusing child
The man, aged in his 90s, was found guilty on all nine charges of indecent assault against a child.
The former principal of De La Salle National School has been found guilty of sexually abusing a child between the late 1970’s and early 1980’s.
Con Desmond, with an address at Ennis, Co. Clare, was convicted on nine counts of indecent assault against a primary school pupil.
Desmond abused the victim within the walls of the school, creating a terrifying environment which the victim described in court as a "game of cat and mouse".
The former priest, now aged 90, contested the charges and denied committing the abuse.
The trial began in late October at Waterford Circuit Criminal Court before a jury of six men and six women. Niall Storan BL and State Solicitor Frank Hutchinson acted on behalf of the State. Gareth Hayden BL acted for the accused under the instruction of solicitor Evan O’Neill of Newell, Gillen and Cunningham Solicitors.
The jury heard evidence from the victim, a friend of the victim and Detective Garda Seamus Halpin.
The victim described how Desmond would purposefully single him out in school, holding him back at the back of assembly lines and bring him to his office in order to abuse him.
He would force the child to lean over with no pants or underwear on and beat him with a metre stick. Desmond masturbated as he beat the child and would ejaculate on to the child’s body.
The abuse happened on a regular basis between September 1978 and December 1980. In 1980, around the Christmas period, the victim fought back against Desmond and called him a ‘child molester’. The sexual abuse stopped after that incident.
The victim did not tell anyone at the time of the abuse because of the prevalent stigma around AIDS and homosexuality. He said: “I had butterflies when I went to school. I hated going but I always went’.
In 2024, he was speaking to his friend about their time in school. His friend said to him: “When you came out of that office, you would always be crying.”
The victim responded: “Something happened to me sexually in that office.”
His friend immediately encouraged him to report the abuse to the Gardaí.
The victim gave an official statement to Detective Seamus Halpin in June 2024. He spoke about how he felt "turned up inside" as his own grandchild was beginning First Class, the same class he was in when the abuse began.
In court, he told Mr. Storan: “It’s just something I have to get past. It has ruined a lot of things in my life.”
Desmond did not give testimony during the trial, as is his right as a defendant under Irish law.
The jury deliberated for roughly 1 hour and 40 minutes before returning unanimous verdicts of guilty for each count on the indictment.
After his conviction, Judge Eugene O’Kelly confirmed that Desmond could be identified by the press.
Desmond is due to be sentenced on Thursday, October 29, at Waterford Circuit Court.
