A farmer who was not charged for 26 years after he made “wholesale” admissions to gardaí about sexually abusing his young cousins has been jailed for 11 and a half years.
The sentencing of Thomas Collins (59) on Tuesday marked the end of decades of struggle for justice, his victims said.
Two of Collins' cousins were told to withdraw their statements against him by a serving garda in 1997 and when they again made formal complaints in 2002, the then DPP directed that he not be prosecuted, the Central Criminal Court heard.
Collins went on to sexually abuse another person decades later and is currently serving a nine-and-a -half year sentence for this.
Sentencing Collins on Tuesday for the abuse of his three cousins, Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring said: “This is a case that should have been dealt with decades ago.”
Collins, of The Fair Green, Frenchpark, Co Roscommon, pleaded guilty to 21 sample counts of the indecent assault, attempted rape and rape of his three young cousins, Gretta Conlon, Catherine Conlon and Gerard Conlon, in and around their two family homes on dates between 1978 and 1992.
In her victim impact statement, one of Collins' cousins described her absolute devastation at the “betrayal” by gardaí, telling the court that a garda demanded she and her sister withdraw their statements against Collins.
This garda, who was named in court by Ms Justice Ring, had a personal connection to Collins, the court heard. His behaviour at the time “had all the hallmarks of misconduct in public office,” Ms Justice Ring said.
The court heard that Gretta Conlon and Catherine Conlon made statements to gardaí in 1997 about the abuse they suffered on a regular basis at the hands of Collins from when they were aged three and six respectively.
However, while they initially found the gardaí were helpful, they ultimately withdrew their complaints after a garda discouraged them from proceeding with the case.
Sergeant Laura Martin told James Dwyer SC, prosecuting, that this garda's wife worked with Collins' wife. The court heard family members also put pressure on the two women, although not Collins himself.
The court heard the two Conlon women again made a complaint to gardaí in 2002 but the DPP decided not to prosecute.
The court heard that in his interview with gardaí in 1997, Collins said he knew what he was doing was wrong and that his cousins were only young at the time. He said he was “experimenting” with them and that it went on for several years.
In 2002, he made a statement making further admissions and saying he “didn't realise (he) was doing any harm at the time” and he was only young. These were “wholesale admissions”, Collins' barrister, Desmond Dockery SC told the court.
Ms Justice Ring asked if the DPP at the time saw these garda statements and was told they had. In sentencing, she noted the DPP made the decision not to proceed with the case “despite the admissions made by Thomas Collins”.
She praised the “stamina, determination and sense of right” that prevailed in Collins' cousins, who she noted had to wait until 2023 when he was charged and until this year when he entered guilty pleas.
“27 years they have travelled to this day, which speaks to the strength these two women have, despite the incredible damage done to them by Thomas Collins,” Ms Justice Ring said. She said they were “true survivors” and she wished them well into the future.
The court heard Collins also later admitted to the indecent assault of Gerard Conlon, who disclosed the abuse in more recent years.
The three complainants were in court for the sentence, along with their spouses. The court heard Collins is now estranged from his wife and adult children.
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.
