A middle-aged man jailed for three years for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl had the final year of his sentence suspended on conditions by the Court of Criminal Appeal yesterday.
The Co Meath man, who cannot be named to protect his victim's identity, pleaded guilty in January 1998 to sexually assaulting the girl in a field in Co Dublin on August 16th, 1995. He had no previous convictions.
With remission he would have been due for release in April.
Suspending the balance of sentence, Mr Justice Barrington, with Mr Justice O'Higgins and Mr Justice O'Neill, said the man must live at a place approved by the Probation Service, report as directed to his probation officer and engage in any counselling deemed appropriate.