A 69 YEAR OLD farmer was given a five year jail sentence after pleading guilty yesterday to indecently assaulting neighbours' children over a 17 year period.
The retired West of Ireland farmer, who cannot be named in order to protect the identity of his victims, was sentenced by Judge Anthony Kennedy at Roscommon Circuit Court. He described the man's conduct as "insidious and evil".
Despite the man's age, Judge Kennedy said there was no way of dealing with the case other than by imposing a custodial sentence.
The farmer, who is married with four grown up sons, admitted 19 charges of indecent assault and one charge of sexual assault against five young girls, four of whom were members of a neighbouring family and one of whom was his niece. The abuse began in 1977 when two of the victims, twin girls, were only five.
Victims' statements were read to the court by Garda Margaret Connolly in which one of the girls said the abuse often took place while other people were close by but not actually present. She felt he enjoyed doing it while people were around.
The girl added: "I feel he is dangerous and should be stopped. I feel he is abusing other children."
The court heard the abuse came to tight two years ago when the youngest girl told her mother. Her three sisters then made statements outlining the abuse.
The judge said the man's actions had been "quite repellent". He had abused one of the girls 15 years after abusing her sister.