The daughters of a man given 10 years for repeatedly raping and abusing them when they were children have spoken of their relief that his appeal has concluded without success.
Jerry O’Keeffe (69), of Oakhill, Youghal, in Cork, had pleaded guilty to nine sample counts of raping one of his daughters and sexually abusing another in Youghal from 1980 to 1985 and 1987 to 1993. O’Keeffe pleaded guilty after a jury had been sworn in to try him, following a failed attempt to sever the indictment and order separate trials. He had faced 78 counts on the indictment.
He was given consecutive sentences of seven years for repeatedly raping one daughter and three years for repeated abuse of the other by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy on November 6th 2017.
O’Keeffe lost an appeal against the severity of his 10-year prison sentence on Monday with the Court of Appeal holding that his sentence, if anything other than correct, was lenient.
Speaking outside court, O’Keeffe’s eldest daughter Amy Barrett said: “We’re both just very relieved that it’s finally over. We thought it was over when he was sentenced and only found out just before Christmas that he was appealing his sentence. We didn’t really want to be coming back up here again but thank God it just turned out well for us.”
‘Zero tolerance’
When asked about the judge’s comments that O’Keeffe’s sentence was, if anything, lenient, she said: “I was relieved, very relieved. It showed me these judges have a zero tolerance for child abuse. It gives me a lot of hope. It sends out a message to other victims as well. Don’t be afraid to come forward.
“I feel so relieved, really relieved it’s finally over and done with now. We can move on and get on with the rest of our lives now.”
Her message to others in similar positions: “Don’t lose hope. Don’t be afraid to come forward, there is a lot of help out there.”
Giving judgment in the three-judge court, Mr Justice John Hedigan said O’Keeffe repeatedly raped his eldest daughter from the age of eight and began abusing the second daughter from when she was aged 11.
Mr Justice Hedigan said a complaint was made against O’Keeffe when one of the daughters was 16 but she withdrew the complaint under pressure from her parents. Following an investigation by the Southern Health Board in 1999, involving social workers, it was decided that O’Keeffe would move out of the family home.
Gardaí were aware of the health board’s investigation but no Garda investigation took place. Formal complaints were made in 2014, leading O’Keeffe to be charged.
Mr Justice Hedigan said O’Keeffe was a former soldier in the army for over 20 years who retired in 2004.
He had no previous convictions and was otherwise of good character. He had heart problems and arthritis.
Destruction
Mr Justice Hedigan said the offences were “among the most serious to come before our courts”. They took place over a number of years and, as the sentencing judge had noted, amounted to a destruction of his children’s childhoods.
He said the length of time over which the two children were subjected to this “depraved behaviour” was “horrifying”.
Mr Justice Hedigan said O’Keeffe’s lawyers had made an eloquent plea on his behalf. However, he said the appeal was almost “unstatable”.
He said the sentence, if anything other than correct, was “very lenient”.
Mr Justice Hedigan, who sat with president of the Court of Appeal Mr Justice George Birmingham and Mr Justice John Edwards, said the three-judge court was “entirely unconvinced” that it should intervene and the appeal was therefore dismissed.