Grandfather watched TV as he sexually assaulted child

A 72-year-old man sexually assaulted his own granddaughter while he watched Coronation Street.

On another occasion he got her to play strip poker with him.

Yesterday he was further remanded in custody for sentencing in April.

The accused had denied all four charges of sexually assaulting the nine-year-old in West Cork. A jury convicted him in November 2015 after a trial at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

Asked by investigating gardaí why she would have made the claims if they were untrue, the accused said the girl was being put up to it for money because her parents had financial trouble.

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin said of the injured party, who gave her evidence by video from a room separate from the courtroom: “I thought she was very convincing and very well grounded and to be absolutely believed on everything she said.”

Sergeant Derek Mulcahy told Siobhán Lankford, prosecuting, in a summary of the sexual offences, that he got her to play strip poker, that he had her naked on his knee, and that she felt sticky stuff on her legs.

On another occasion — again when she was aged 9 — he penetrated her vagina with his finger as he sat beside her watching Coronation Street on the television.

Her evidence was that he only stopped when one of her aunts telephoned.

On another occasion he showed the child adult pornography, after which something similar took place between the elderly man and his granddaughter. Again she described having a sticky substance which she couldn’t identify on her legs.

Christopher Meehan, defending, said the accused had very poor health which made imprisonment worse for him. He also said the accused continued to maintain his innocence.

Citing some lines from the victim impact statement, Mr Meehan said: “She seems a resilient young lady with a forward-looking outlook.”

The accused has been in custody since the jury found him guilty in November.

Judge Ó Donnabháin remanded him further in custody until April 21 for sentencing.