Convicted rapist given further three-year sentence

Dublin criminal Stephen 'Rossi' Walsh who is currently serving a ten-year sentence for rape has received a further three years in prison for simulating sex on a seven-year-old girl over twenty years ago.

Walsh (aged 63) was found guilty by a jury following a three-day trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court last month of two charges of indecent assault against the child on dates between May and September 1988. He is currently serving a ten-year sentence imposed last February for later raping a nine-year-old-girl in the early 1990s.

Walsh, formerly of Belgrave Road, Rathgar, but who gave his address as “The Irish Republic”, represented himself throughout the trial and had pleas of not guilty entered on his behalf after he refused to take part in the arraignment process while the jury was being sworn in.

Walsh told Judge Patrick McCartan that he was taking “no hand, act, or part” in today’s sentence hearing after his application challenging the legality of procedures bringing him before the court and his request to have the hearing adjourned while he appealed the conviction were refused.

Judge McCartan said Walsh, who was a “serious criminal”, had taken advantage of a young girl and the woman had been obliged to relive the experience again during the trial where she was cross examined by Walsh. “I have a clear recollection of her stressed condition,” he said.

He imposed a three-year sentence which will begin on the expiration of his current ten-year sentence. Judge McCartan said he hoped the woman could move forward with her life and that things would be better for her in the future.

During the trial the now 29-year-old victim told Ms Tara Burns BL, prosecuting, that on two occasions when she visited Walsh’s home at the time, he made her lie face down on a bed with a pillow under her stomach. She said the accused lay on top of her and moved “as if he was having sex” and she heard moaning noises.

The victim was cross examined during the trial by Walsh who asked her why it had taken her so long to come forward. She replied: “Because I was ashamed, you hurt me and when you tell people you have to deal with it.” She later said: “I was ashamed. I felt dirty and ashamed.”

“You know, you were there. You don’t know how upsetting it is, you don’t know how this has effected my life and you can stand there and question me,” she told Walsh, “You say you want your rights, what about the rights of a child.”

Detective Garda Barry Walsh told Ms Burns that a complaint by the victim was made to gardaí in April 2007 and Walsh was arrested in July of that year.

Det. Gda Walsh said the offences still have a serious effect on the woman’s life and relationships and she has attempted suicide. Her victim impact statement was handed to in to Judge McCartan but was not read in open court.

Walsh has 16 previous convictions for offences including the rape post-dating this offence, as well as earlier offences dating back to 1965. In 1993 he received a 15-year sentence at the Special Criminal Court for arson; he has also been convicted of armed robbery, road traffic offences, larceny and malicious damage.

During the trial last month, Walsh employed several legal tactics in his defence including challenging the jurisdiction of the court and the legality of his detention and charge. He also complained of adverse pre-trial publicity.

During his closing speech at the trial, Walsh said he had been stigmatised and had no one he could call to give evidence on his behalf.

“I have no one I can go up to and say 'can you help me?', because no one wants to know someone in my position and rightly so,” he said, “I can not prove where I was, I can not prove anything.”