A 66-year-old Louth man who admitted indecently assaulting two boys in the 1960s and 1970s was yesterday jailed for nine months at Dundalk District Court.
But the severity of the sentence imposed by Judge Flann Brennan has been appealed and the judge extended an order preventing the media from identifying the accused. The two complainants had already indicated they wanted him named in the press.
In court yesterday the first complainant, who was aged between nine and 12 years at the time of the abuse, said the abuse had resulted in him developing a drink problem and it was only with the help of Cluan Mhuire in Galway that he had confronted what had happened to him.
He said that although the accused pleaded guilty to the four offences in court last April, "he has never shown remorse" and he alleged the accused had, through his solicitor, told lies to the court.
He said: "He did a lot of damage to my life; he preyed on me as a child." He asked the judge not to show any leniency.
The other complainant, who was aged between eight and nine years at the time he was assaulted, said he had been "fed drink when I was eight" by the accused and it had led to him (witness) having contempt and mistrust for figures of authority.
All the assaults happened at a location in Omeath, Co Louth, two on a date unknown before September 8th, 1977, the other two on a date unknown before 1969.
In one case the accused had taken the boy to Mass the day after he abused him and then repeated the abuse a week later. It was only when the boy told his father that the abuse stopped.
Passing sentence, Judge Brennan said: "These are extremely serious offences for which civilised society cannot show any leniency."
He imposed nine-month jail terms on each of the counts. He directed they run concurrently and was immediately told the accused was appealing.