Sex offenders’ sentence reduced

A former public servant who was "burnt out of his house" following his conviction for sexually assaulting two young girls has had his sentence reduced by the Court of Appeal.

Aidan Leacy, aged 56, pleaded guilty to one count of sexually assaulting two young girls in the west of the country on dates between November 2007 and January 2008.

He was sentenced to six years imprisonment by Judge Carroll Moran at Cork Circuit Criminal Court on March 3, 2013.

Following a successful appeal yesterday by Leacy, of New Ross, Co Wexford, a new sentence of three years imprisonment with two years post release supervision was imposed on him by the Court of Appeal.

Mr Justice George Birmingham said Leacy sexually assaulted two seven-year-old girls in late 2007, early 2008. Leacy’s daughter was in the same class in school as the injured parties and these two girls would attend his house to play.

Thomas Creed, counsel for Leacy, said his client was “effectively burnt out of his house”, had lost his job and his children were taken away from him and his wife as a direct result of this offence.

The court was told that Leacy will be on the sex offenders register indefinitely.