Burglar gets seven years for sexual assault of children

An alcoholic burglar has been jailed for seven years by Mr Justice Paul Carney for sexually assaulting two children while their mother spoke with neighbours a short distance from their Dublin home.

Peter O'Gorman (aged 40), a father-of-two of Mantua Park, Swords broke into the house thinking it was empty and stole gold jewellery, house keys and two mobile phones before he sexually assaulted the young boy and girl, who were left unsupervised for 10 minutes.

O'Gorman pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to sexually assaulting the girl by touching her vagina and forcing her young brother to perform oral sex on him on July 25, 2008. He also pleaded guilty to burglary and theft on the same date.

Detective Garda Gary McEntee told prosecution counsel, Ms Elva Duffy BL, that an Abrakebabra drinks cup left by O'Gorman on the living room table led to his identification on the fast-food outlet's CCTV from the girl's description of her assailant.

Det. Garda McEntee said the boy ran up the road to tell his mother about the burglar minutes after he first heard glass breaking in the house and saw O'Gorman, who touched his sister and ordered him to kneel and perform oral sex on him.

The boy said O'Gorman had offered him and his sister a drink of Coca-Cola from his cup and asked them where their mother was when he discovered them alone in the living room.

Det. Garda McEntee said the boy revealed that O'Gorman slapped him once on the cheek when he put his arm around his sister to protect her.

The girl said O'Gorman got her to take off her clothes and then touched her private parts.

Det. Garda McEntee said two colleagues stopped O'Gorman in the neighbourhood "by chance" on another matter a short time after the offence and this helped gardai identify him as the culprit.

Det. Garda McEntee agreed with defence counsel, Mr Conor Devally SC, that when gardaí asked his client why he committed the offences, O'Gorman replied: "I don't know, I'll be asking that for the rest of my life."

Mr Devally said a psychologist failed to make a conclusive report on O'Gorman's mental health because the former chef and chronic alcoholic, who lost his spleen due to a car accident, had been drunk at the time of examination.

He submitted to Mr Justice Carney that there was a possibility his client's alcohol problems started when he had to give up competitive sports because of this serious injury as a young man.

Mr Justice Carney directed the registration of O'Gorman as a sex offender and said he accepted his remorse as "genuine".