Limerick man found guilty of assaulting boy, 11, at holiday home

A Limerick man has been found guilty of indecently assaulting a boy at a Kerry holiday home 36 years ago.

Following a four-day trial, a jury took under two hours to find Michael Casey, aged 64, of Verona Esplanade, O’Connell Avenue, Limerick, guilty of the offence.

During the trial before Judge Tom O’Donnell at Limerick Circuit Court, Casey denied the complainant’s allegations, which dated to September 1981.

In evidence to Lorcan Connolly, prosecuting, the victim, 11 at the time of the offence, recalled how Casey befriended him in a “typical grooming situation”.

The victim said the older man often gave him treats at his workplace which was nearby. “It was like Willy Wonka,” he said.

Recalling a trip to a Kerry village, the victim said that “it started with horse play and would end up with buggery or rape”.

He said he was shown hundreds of videos which were not appropriate for his age — “worse than porn” he said.

Alcohol was shared during a trip to the holiday home when he was just 11 and after drinking it, he said he became sick.

“He put me to bed. I can’t remember what happened but I was naked and sore in my anal region when I woke up the next morning.”

Another witness told the trial he saw Casey and his friend in bed at the holiday home.

The victim told the jury that he found Polaroid pictures of himself which Casey had taken in the holiday home. The victim said he tore them up because he felt humiliated.

In 2014, the court heard Det Garda Paul Crowley took a statement of complaint from the victim which led to Casey being indicted before the Circuit Criminal Court.

The victim said he was a father now and “the idea of anyone doing to my son what this man did to me horrified me and has to be prevented”.

Anthony Sammon, defending, put it to the victim that “it simply didn’t happen”, and the victim replied that “I would have done anything to try and get back at this man for what he had done”.

Casey had been charged with 13 indecent assault offences and the jury acquitted him of 12. After the jury returned the guilty verdict in the 13th charge, an application by the State to remand Casey in custody was refused by Judge Tom O’Donnell and the matter was adjourned to March 31 for sentence.