Retired businessman David Barry jailed for sexually assaulting boy scouts in Cork

Retired Cork businessman David Barry has been jailed for five years for sexually assaulting boy scouts in Cork.

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin imposed the sentence of seven years with the last two years suspended on 73-year-old David Barry, of Firgrove Gardens, Bishopstown, Cork at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

He admitted all 29 charges against him. 28 were for indecent or sexual assaults and one was for attempted sexual assault.

Detective Garda Gary Duggan said the ten victims were aged between 13 and 17 when the sexual abuse of them occurred on overnights at the defendant’s home in Bishopstown between 1986 and 2008.

The detective said that in several cases the boys were given alcohol. David Barry had a bar at his own home which was known as an attraction for the teenaged boys who visited. The evidence was he showed some of them videos of German pornography.

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin said, “As an adult or scout leader these children were in his care supervising them and he breached every concept of car or trust possible.

“He preyed upon these children and abused them over a period of years.” 

Defence senior counsel Tom Creed said David Barry’s plea of guilty was the strongest sign of his remorse. He outlined the defendant’s health problems.

In the first book of evidence David Barry faced 27 historical counts of sexually assaulting boy scouts and a 28th charge related to an alleged attempted sexual assault. Those charges are in respect of nine different complainants – former boy scouts. Many of them are now in their 40’s. All of the charges are sexual or indecent assault – which are in effect the same offence – but one is of attempted sexual assault. The attempted sexual assault relates to one complainant. The other charges relate variously to the other eight complainants.

Charges relate to a period from 1986 to 2005 at a location in Cork. Many of the charges relate to the 1980’s and 1990’s.

The second book of evidence relates to a single charge that on an unknown date between September 1 2007 and June 30 2008 he sexually assaulted a scout who was in his early teens.

When Detective Garda Gary Duggan first charged David Barry in December 2020 to most of the charges, he did not reply after caution but then added, “I am so sorry for anyone I hurt.”