A 78-year-old former scout master who was convicted earlier this year of indecently assaulting five young boys when they were members of his scout troop in Cork more than three decades ago has been jailed for four years.
Noel Sheehan, of Chimneyfields, Glenville, Co Cork, went on trial at Cork Circuit Criminal Court earlier this year.
The former hospital porter had pleaded not guilty to 17 charges against him. The jury returned guilty verdicts on 16 of the 17 counts. There were five complainants in the case.
Ray Boland SC, representing Sheehan was asked by Judge Helen Boyle on Thursday if his client had accepted the verdict of the injury. to which Mr Boland said his client did not.
“I am not in a position to express any remorse on his part,” Mr Boland added.
Counsel described the offences as being “serious”, but appealed for leniency in the case. “These are serious offences affecting young persons and a serious breach of trust but are at the lower end of the scale.”
During the trial, prosecution barrister Katherine McGillycuddy BL told the jury that Sheehan was a scout master with a troop of scouts in Cork city in the late 1980s, and used to take members away on camping weekends.
Evidence
Ms McGillycuddy said the jury would hear evidence from five complainants that Sheehan touched and fondled their private parts both inside and outside their clothing during those weekends away.
Sheehan was charged with six counts of indecent assault against two of the complainants, three counts of indecent assault in relation to another complainant, and one count of assault against each of the other two complainants.
The offences occurred between 1987 and 1990, when the complainants were aged between 10 and 13. The offences took place at scout halls in Waterford and Cork. The court heard Sheehan was living in the scout centre as a caretaker when the offences took place.
One of the complainants said in evidence that he had gone with the troop to the Scout Hall in Waterford, explaining thatx the boys used to sleep on the floor in their sleeping bags upstairs in the hall. Sheehan, the only adult present, slept downstairs.
He told the court that one night he heard Sheehan discharge a shotgun in a field. Later that evening, Sheehan told him to come downstairs as the other boys were asleep.
Sheehan claimed that the boy had been messing with some of the other boys. He stated that when he went downstairs Sheehan groped him.
“He put his hand on my penis; he had his eyes closed, and he was snow-white in the face and sweating on his forehead. He told me he was just playing a game... I went back upstairs, but I couldn’t sleep. I stayed awake – I was a young fellow, but I was fairly angry.”
Sheehan warned the complainant that he would kill him if he informed anyone about what had occurred. The man, who is now in his 40s, said he was very afraid because he was aware that the scout leader had a gun.
Sentencing hearing
At the sentencing hearing at Cork Circuit Court on Thursday, the victims told Judge Boyle about how the abuse had impacted them.
One said that he decided not to have children because he was afraid they would be abused, adding: “If this had not happened to me, I would be a father now.”
Another man said he turned to alcohol and drugs in a bid to cope with what had happened to him as a child, adding he now suffers from liver disease.
Other complainants spoke of dropping out of school following the abuse.
Judge Boyle commended the victims for their bravery.
Speaking to Sheehan, the judge said: “These were all young boys between 10 and 12 years of age. You were their leader and all these took place at scouting events, which should be fun and adventure, but they were preyed upon by you. The only person to blame for these offences is you.
“These have had a significant effect on the victims. It is clear the assaults impacted on every area of their lives. It is striking that three of the five had issues with substance abuse while they were trying to deal with these issues which were not their fault.”
Judge Boyle sentenced Sheehan to four and a half years in prison and suspended the last six months.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/ or visit Rape Crisis Help.
