'If that's sexual assault, I'm being rode' - Man (70's) guilty of sexual assault of his children
The man stood trial at Waterford Circuit Court.
A man in his 70's has been found guilty on three counts of sexual assault against his two children.
The man, who cannot be identified to protect the victims of his abuse, stood trial at Waterford Circuit Court last week before a jury of four women and eight men.
The man was charged on five counts of sexual assault committed on dates unknown between January 25, 1987, until February 24, 1992, in the county of Waterford. The first count related to his daughter when she was between the ages of 12 to 16. The following four counts concerned his son when he was roughly nine to 11 years old.
The accused was represented by Senior Counsel Paul Greene, aided by Gareth Hayden BL, under the instruction of solicitor Finola Cronin.
Dylan Redmond BL acted as State Prosecutor on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). Judge Eugene O'Kelly presided over the trial, which lasted just under a week.
The jury heard witness testimony from the victims, now aged in their 40's and 50's. They described a deeply dysfunctional upbringing marred with physical abuse by their, now deceased, mother and sexual abuse by their father.
The female witness described having to take on a caretaker role from the age of eight, as her mother was in and out of hospital for various medical troubles.
During these hospital stays, she said there would be an increase in her father's drinking. One evening, her father was drinking and telling her how "good" she was at keeping the house in order, telling her if she "was his wife" then they would have no problems. At this point, the woman said that he kissed her and put his tongue in her mouth. Mr Redmond asked her how she felt, she responded: “Terrifying.”
She told her partner about the assault a number of years later.
The son took the stand and gave a similar account of growing up in a house full of tension and anxiety. He described the events of an evening when his father forced his mother and sister out of a car and drove home without them. When his mother finally arrived home, she ordered him to go to bed. Soon afterwards, his father came into his room, stuck his tongue in his mouth and molested him. The witness described at least three other incidents of this nature occurring within the year. He left Waterford in his late-teens and didn't return until 2021, when he made a formal statement to Detective Garda Seamus Halpin.
The accused man was questioned by Gardaí soon after the statement was made and denied all allegations, stating: "I'll admit to anything but that because I didn't do that."
He told Gardaí that he licked tears off his son's face but said: "If that's sexual assault, I'm being rode. His mother put him to bed because he was blaggarding and I felt sorry for him."
He admitted kissing his daughter but denied putting his tongue in her mouth, stating: "If you can't kiss your own children..."
When asked by Gardaí if he was a heavy drinker he said: "No, I was a messer."
He told Gardaí that he took care of the children when his wife was sick and that "they never went without food".
In the closing address to the jury, Mr Redmond said: "You can and should bring in a guilty verdict on all five counts charged on the indictment." Mr Green said of the evidence presented: "Credible is a dangerous word. Is it reliable? Can you rely on evidence from the witnesses?"
The jury spent just under an hour in deliberations. They delivered guilty verdicts for the first three charges and two verdicts of not guilty on the final two. All verdicts were unanimous.
The man was remanded on bail pending his sentencing hearing, which will take place this coming March.
