A man who sexually assaulted four girls over a 13year period has been jailed for five years by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
The 49-year-old man pleaded guilty to eight sample counts out of a total of 27 on the indictment. Two of his victims were nieces. The sexual assaults took place on dates unknown between July 1981 and September 1994.
Judge Elizabeth Dunne said that in imposing sentence she would take into account the early pleas of guilty and the fact that the defendant informed gardai about two of the victims. She suspended the last two years of the sentence because of mitigating factors which included the defendant's age and state of health.
Mr Luan O Braonain, defending, said his client's stepfather was convicted of sexually assaulting the defendant's brother when he was young. The man also had said he himself had been sexually assaulted by his stepfather. Mr O Braonain said his client had indicated to him that he wished to apologise to two of the girls who were present in court if permitted, but they declined.