Offender admits to further child sex assaults

Serial sex offender James Lombard confessed today to sexually assaulting another seven boys and two girls as it emerged a consultation with a prison psychiatrist broke down because the accused was too upset to speak.

Lombard was in the headlines earlier this year when he was unlawfully at large for three weeks, having failed to show up for the end of his trial where he was convicted of sexually assaulting seven boys, a number of them in the toilets of fast food outlets in Cork city.

A psychiatric report was to have been presented at Cork Circuit Criminal Court today but it was not available.

Defence barrister, Dermot Sheehan, explained: “It was adjourned so that Dr (David) Dunne could prepare a report. Dr Dunne has seen this man for about 10 minutes. He saw him but he (Lombard) was so upset speaking to Dr Dunne that no meaningful consultation took place.”

Also today, Lombard, 36, from the Blarney Street/Sunday’s Well area of Cork, was arraigned on nine more counts of sexual assault.

He pleaded guilty to each charge, seven of them against boys and two against girls. Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin remanded Lombard in custody until April 29.

It is possible that sentencing will be further adjourned at that stage until June. However, the judge was anxious to adjourn the matter for a short period first to find out what progress is made on the psychiatric report on Lombard.

Victim impact reports on each of the 16 children sexually assaulted by Lombard will have to be prepared in advance of sentencing.

The nine counts to which Lombard pleaded guilty today occurred on both sides of Cork city.

One of them happened at an amusement centre. The children, who were aged around 10 years old at the time of the assaults, and are now aged around 20 years and over, will have the opportunity to address the judge directly on their concerns.

In the case that went to trial last February, four of the assaults occurred at Burgerland on Patrick Street, Burger King on Patrick Street, McDonalds on Winthrop Street, the Kylemore restaurant at Merchants Quay, where each boy was fondled in a sexual manner about the genitals and buttocks.

In three cases the accused brought the boy into a cubicle and pulled down his pants and then fondled him. The fourth case was somewhat similar.

Three further offences occurred at swimming pools in Cork when boys were getting in to their togs and were about to join their parents in the pool.