Sports coach who sexually abused two girls gets 14 years' jail

A Kerry sports coach and now convicted paedophile rapist was jailed today for 14 years for the pervasive and systematic nature of his sexual abuse of two girls.

Ms Justice Siobhán Lankford said: “The injured parties were very young at the time of the offences. The huge age disparity is an aggravating factor as is the multiplicity of sexual acts performed upon them. 

"There was an attempt to alienate the girls from their parents. I find that to be very aggravating.

“The effect on each injured party is very significant and their victim impact statements eloquently set out how they were impacted. And the length of time over which the offences were carried out is an aggravating factor.” 

She added in respect of the victim of the rape and sexual assault charges: “Of particular significance she said he twisted her relationship with her family to isolate her – she was trapped within his control.” 

Imposing ten-and-a-half years on the 63-year-old for raping one girl three times, orally raping her nine times and sexually assaulting her nine times, the judge imposed a consecutive sentence of three-and-a-half years for sexually assaulting the second victim nine times. 

They were aged from 15 to 17 at the time of the sexual crimes against them.

Because he contested the case and made no admissions and consequently expressed no remorse, the defendant was not entitled to the reductions of sentence that would apply where there was an admission of guilt, the judge said.

Ms Justice Lankford made an order at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork today prohibiting identification of the accused on the basis that it might identify the injured parties. 

Defence senior counsel Ray Boland said it might also have the effect of falsely identifying other girls coached by the accused.

The victim of the most serious sexual crimes said: “You didn't coach me or teach me, instead you hunted me, you abused me as a child, brutalising me with verbal, mental, physical and sexual abuse – you broke the soul of a child.” 

Detective Garda Darragh McGuire read both victim impact statements on their behalf.

“You normalised this behaviour. You used your position as my coach/mentor/teacher to manipulate and force me to do things no teenager should ever have to do. You were 40 years older than me and I was a child.

“You set your control from early on setting the scene for example with the open-handed slap to my face when I was just 13. I had no awareness at the time of the damage being caused as I was isolated by you from family and friends and lost out on normal teenage years and the normal teenage experiences and thoughts. You wrecked my confidence. You were always pushing boundaries, normalising sexual talk.

“The trial was mentally draining and has left me exhausted as you forced me to relive the trauma of the events under your control. The double trauma of the abuse itself and trial is going to have a massive impact on my life,” the victim of the rapes said.

The victim of the sexual assaults said: “You filled me with dreams and hopes of becoming 'the next big thing' and then used those hopes to manipulate and control me. 

"The psychological and sexual abuse I experienced at your hands has affected me deeply and continues to affect me to this day.

“You knew exactly how much (the sport) meant to me, and you used my passion, ambition, and trust to gain control over me. You were an adult in a position of power and influence, and I was a child who trusted you completely.

“You repeatedly told me I was weak, trying to convince me that I would never be able to stand up for myself or succeed without you. You chipped away at my confidence for years so that I would doubt myself and depend on your approval. 

"Standing here today, I want to say that you were wrong about that, just as you were wrong about many other things you believed about me. 

"I now realise that weakness was never found in the children you targeted, but in a grown man who needed control over them in order to feel powerful.

“You took my energy, interest and enthusiasm and hi-jacked it for your own self-gratification.

“To this day you have denied responsibility for your actions and there has been no apology. You have shown no remorse and no understanding of the severe human damage you have done. 

"My family has been seriously affected also as my parents and grandparents have had to deal with fact that they trusted you with their daughter grandchild and you abused that trust.

“I have been absolutely traumatised by the trial experience and have felt sick and disgusted as I have related the events that you deny ever happened. 

"I did not eat for the week of the trial and was consumed with anxiety and fear. It was like reliving the abuse and brought it all up again.

“Despite everything you did to break me down, I am still here. I am still rebuilding my confidence, and still moving forward without fear and without your control over my life anymore.” 

When addressing the jury at the end of the trial, Mr Boland for the defence told them that if they found him guilty he would be forever a convicted paedophile and rapist.

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