Ex-scout leader from Cork convicted of abuse of five young boy scouts

FORMER scout leader Michael Noel Sheehan, aged 78, has been convicted of sexually assaulting five young boy scouts more than 30 years ago.

Noel Michael Sheehan of Chimneyfields, Glenville, Co Cork, was convicted by the unanimous decision of a jury of four women and eight men on 16 counts of indecent assault.

There were five injured parties who testified about what Sheehan did to them when they were children.

He pleaded not guilty to 17 charges at the outset of a six-day trial at Cork Circuit Criminal Court, but late this afternoon the jury told Judge Helen Boyle that they were unanimous in finding him guilty on 16 charges.

A formal disagreement was recorded in respect of one count only.

Judge Boyle remanded the 78-year-old in jail for sentencing on June 13 when his victims will have an opportunity to present evidence of the impact that his sexual abuse has had on their lives.

Opening the case, the prosecution barrister, Katherine McGillycuddy, told the jury that Sheehan was a scout master for a troop of scouts in Cork in the late 1980s and that he used to take the boys in the troop away on camping weekends.

She said that they would hear evidence from the five complainants that he indecently or sexually assaulted them, which involved touching and fondling their private parts both inside and outside their clothing during these camping weekends.

Sheehan had been charged with six counts of indecent assault against each of two of complainants, three counts of indecent assault in respect of another complainant, and one count of indecent assault against each of the other two complainants.

Sheehan had denied all of the offences, which occurred when his victims were between the ages of 10 and 13 at a scout hall at Old Schoolhouse, Chimneyfields, Glenville, Co Cork; some at Mount Melleray, Co Waterford; and one at Drishane Castle, Millstreet, Co Cork.

One victim said that Sheehan told him that he would kill him if ever told anyone about the sexual assault and later, following another sexual assault, he told him that he would shoot him.

The victim said that he had been terrified because he knew that Sheehan had a gun.

Indecent assault and sexual assault charges only differ in name on the basis of when the offences were committed, as the term “indecent” was changed to “sexual” in more recent legislation.