Uncle found guilty of sexual assaults

A jury took four and a half hours to return guilty verdicts against a 63-year-old man for sexually assaulting two nephews in the 1990s.

The two complainants burst into tears in the public gallery when the guilty verdicts were delivered at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

In challenges to their evidence in the trial, the defendant’s lawyer accused them of making up the complaints to make money out of him, and even of pretending to have attempted suicide.

The accused, who began to tremble, was taken into custody and the case will be mentioned again on Monday in relation to fixing a date for sentencing.

Victim impact statements will have to be prepared.

One young man said that, when he was a boy, the defendant fondled his penis when he (the complainant) was a front-seat passenger in the car stopped in traffic.

He said that he made a complaint to the gardaí when he heard that his brother had attempted suicide in 2011, because of the defendant allegedly sexually assaulting him.

James O’Mahony, senior counsel for the defendant, said all of the allegations were denied. The lawyer said during the trial: “The reason you are making these allegations is to make some money out of your uncle.”

The witness replied: “Absolutely not, I wouldn’t take a cent off him if he offered me money right now.”

The second complainant described slitting his wrists two years ago.

Mr O’Mahony said: “You did not slash your wrists. You did not end up at the doctor or at hospital. It did not happen.” The witness said: “I have scars if you want to look at them.”

On Thursday, following legal argument, the jury was directed to return not guilty verdicts on five counts related to the first complainant.