A 51-year-old man has been sentenced to 11 years in prison in London for repeatedly abusing his neighbour’s five-year-old granddaughter over a 12-month period.
The Central Criminal Court heard that the abuse took place between 2019 and 2020 while the girl and her parents were living with her grandparents. The man, who was a neighbour of the family, was convicted of 12 sample counts of oral rape following a trial in June.
The victim, now 11, cannot be identified due to her right to anonymity. She disclosed the abuse to her mother when she was eight years old after an encounter with the man in 2022 brought back memories of what happened.
In a victim impact statement read to the court, the girl said she felt “sick and scared” during the abuse and remains “disgusted” by what happened. She said she found it difficult and frightening to tell her story during the legal process.
Her parents described the impact of the abuse on their daughter and family life, saying they were heartbroken by the disclosure and worried about her future, education and ability to trust others. Her father said childhood should be “filled with happiness, not fear or courtrooms”.
Sentencing the man, Ms Justice Melanie Greally said the offence involved a serious breach of trust, caused profound harm, targeted a very young child and continued over an extended period. She said these were significant aggravating factors.
The court heard the man has an intellectual disability resulting from a childhood brain injury and was assisted by an intermediary during proceedings. However, the judge said a psychological report showed the condition did not reduce his responsibility for the offences, noting that he understood the harmful nature of child sexual abuse.
The judge imposed a headline sentence of 14 years but reduced it to 11 years after considering mitigating factors, including his lack of relevant previous convictions and the additional challenges he may face in prison due to his disability.
The sentence was backdated to when he entered custody last month. The man will also be subject to five years of post-release supervision and must engage with recommended programmes and counselling.
During the investigation, the girl told specialist interviewers that the abuse happened every day while she was five years old. Gardaí were contacted after her disclosure.
The man denied the allegations, claiming he had little interaction with the girl and suggesting the claims were fabricated due to difficulties with her father. However, evidence presented during the trial included photographs showing interactions between him and the child.
Addressing the girl’s parents, Ms Justice Greally said the court hoped their daughter would go on to live a “happy and productive” life, describing her as a child with “great potential” who had received strong support from her family.
