A Cavan man has been jailed for 11 years by Mr Justice Kevin O'Higgins at the Central Criminal Court for raping a young girl.John (Sean) Costello, Hillview, Ballyhaise, Cavan, was convicted by a jury of 16 counts of rape and five counts of indecent assault.
Costello, of The Hillview, Ballyhaise, Cavan, who will turn 79 today, was convicted by a jury of 16 counts of raping and five counts of indecently assaulting the victim on dates between September 1988 and April 1990.
Mr Justice O'Higgins suspended all but the final 18 months of the sentence due to Costello's advanced age and ill health. He has been in custody since his conviction on May 15th last.
Costello had denied these charges during his four-day trial but had pleaded guilty previously to two counts of sexually abusing the victim between the same dates.
The victim asked in court for Costello to be named in public. She said he had taken her innocence and childhood away from her and every time she had met him on the street the memories had come flooding back.
She said she had a very rough time in her teenage years but was now determined to get on with her life and said she was very grateful for the support she had received from her sisters and her boyfriend in bringing this case to light.
Mr Justice O'Higgins also gave Costello 10 years for a number of rape charges, also to be suspended except for the final 18 months, 15 months for the sexual assault charges and nine months for the two sexual assault charges to which he had pleaded guilty. These sentences are to run concurrently.
He told Costello there was a time when a man of his age would not go to jail as there was such regard for old age and ill health but he would feel he had "not done his duty" if he did not give him at least a partial custodial sentence.
He commended the victim on her courage and resilience and said she was now ready to get on with her life, "one which Costello had gone a long way to ruining".
The judge added that the members of his family were also victims of this case.
Sergeant William Carey told prosecuting counsel, Mr George Birmingham SC, that the now 26-year-old woman had first met Costello when she was asked to do the Lotto for him.
The abuse went from kissing and touching her to rape, which happened week after week. The woman said he told her that they were "good friends and that friends kept secrets".
After she left his house, she would go to the grounds of a nearby church and cry.
On one occasion when she was determined to put an end to it and told him he had to stop, he became very angry and grabbed her by the throat. He said he would hurt her family if she ever told anyone what had happened. Afterwards, he walked her to the door and told her to remember what he had said and that it was their "special secret".
She tried to avoid him after that but on another occasion was again asked to do the Lotto for him. She intended to just leave the ticket in through his door but he was waiting for her.
She told him again what he was doing was wrong but said if he did not harm her sister or her family, she would not tell anyone. She did not return to his house during her childhood again.
She said that in May 2000, she attempted to take an overdose after meeting Costello on a street. Her housemate stopped her, and together with her own sister, they decided to confront Costello.
They went to his house and the woman asked him if he remembered her. He said he did and that she had been a "lovely girl". He became flustered when she accused him of abusing her and raping her.
He claimed in their presence that he had groped her to which she replied he had raped her also on more than one occasion.
She then received a solicitor's letter from him demanding an apology for being accused of rape. She refused to give him an apology. gardaí later got in contact with her and proceedings went from there.