A farmer who was not charged for 26 years after he made “wholesale” admissions to gardaí to sexually abusing his young cousins has been jailed for 11½ years.
The sentencing of Thomas Collins (59) on Tuesday marked the end of decades of struggle for justice, his victims said.
Two of Collins’ cousins were told to withdraw their statements against him by a serving garda in 1997 and when they again made formal complaints in 2002, the then DPP directed that he not be prosecuted, the Central Criminal Court heard.
Collins went on to sexually abuse another person decades later and is currently serving a 9½-year sentence for this.
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Sentencing Collins for the abuse of his three cousins, Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring said: “This is a case that should have been dealt with decades ago.”
Collins, of The Fair Green, Frenchpark, Co Roscommon, pleaded guilty to 21 sample counts of the indecent assault, attempted rape and rape of his three young cousins, Gretta Conlon, Catherine Conlon and Gerard Conlon, in and around their two family homes on dates between 1978 and 1992.
In her victim impact statement, one of Collins’ cousins described her absolute devastation at the “betrayal” by gardaí, telling the court that a garda demanded she and her sister withdraw their statements against Collins.
This garda, who was named in court by Ms Justice Ring as Sgt Thomas Fitzmaurice of Roscommon garda station in 1997, had a personal connection to Collins, the court heard. His behaviour at the time “had all the hallmarks of misconduct in public office”, Ms Justice Ring said.
The court heard that Gretta Conlon and Catherine Conlon made statements to gardaí in 1997 about the abuse they suffered on a regular basis at the hands of Collins from when they were aged three and six respectively. However, while they initially found the gardaí were helpful, they ultimately withdrew their complaints after a garda discouraged them from proceeding with the case.
Sgt Laura Martin told James Dwyer SC, prosecuting, that this garda’s wife worked with Collins’ wife. The court heard family members also put pressure on the two women, although not Collins himself.
The court heard the two Conlon women again made a complaint to gardaí in 2002 but the DPP decided not to prosecute.
The court heard that in his interview with gardaí in 1997, Collins said he knew what he was doing was wrong and that his cousins were only young at the time. He said he was “experimenting” with them and that it went on for several years.
In 2002 he made a statement making further admissions and saying he “didn’t realise (he) was doing any harm at the time” and he was only young. These were “wholesale admissions”, Collins’ barrister, Desmond Dockery SC, told the court.
Ms Justice Ring asked if the DPP at the time saw these Garda statements and was told they had. In sentencing, she noted the DPP made the decision not to proceed with the case “despite the admissions made by Thomas Collins”.
She praised the “stamina, determination and sense of right” that prevailed in Collins’ cousins, who she noted had to wait until 2023 when he was charged and until this year when he entered guilty pleas.
“This betrayal by An Garda Síochána left me completely devastated,” Catherine Conlon said in her victim impact statement, which was read out by counsel.
In her victim impact statement, which was also read out by counsel, Gretta Conlon said she endured “unimaginable suffering” at the hands of Collins, and lived in fear of him. She said her childhood should have been carefree and innocent, but Collins robbed her of this.
“I was unable to escape the torment,” she said.
“I ask for justice,” she said. “Not just for myself, but for my sister and brother who suffered in silence and to prevent others from experiencing the same pain and devastation.”
In his victim impact statement, which was read out by counsel, Gerard Conlon described how as an eight-year-old boy he did not know what he had done to deserve the physical and emotional abuse at the hands of Collins.
He described being helpless and confused, unable to tell a soul what happened to him until he met his now wife. “I’m here today to get justice and get on with my life,” he said.
In his plea of mitigation, Mr Desmond said his client’s father died suddenly from a heart attack when he was 12, just before his offending behaviour started. He noted that Collins was a child for much of the offending against his cousins, and would need to be treated by the court as such.
He has two previous convictions for sexual misconduct.
Speaking outside court, surrounded by her siblings and relatives, Gretta Conlon told reporters: “Today marks the culmination of decades of struggle, pain and resilience as justice has finally been served for my sister Catherine, my brother Gerry and myself.
“After 30 years of sexual torment and emotional abuse at the hands of Thomas Collins, we can now begin the lengthy process of healing.”
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