Corkman convicted of sexual assault of his daughter and cruelty to his son named and jailed

Victims waived their own right to anonymity so their father could be identified, court told

William Condon

A four-and-a-half-year jail sentence was imposed on a man who subjected his own son to cruelty, sexually assaulted his daughter and carried out a physical assault which put her in fear of even surviving the attack.

William Condon, 40, of Leesdale, Bishopstown, Cork, can be named, as the injured parties — his daughter Faith Condon and his son William Condon junior of Churchtown, Co Cork — waived their own right to anonymity. 

The victims were so anxious that their father would be identified that a special application had to made by prosecution barrister Imelda Kelly to overcome a provision of the Children’s Act that would otherwise have prevented identification. Judge Colin Daly allowed for the identification of all parties in the circumstances.

Judge Daly said the accused had violated his daughter in the sexual assault and carried out a vicious, violent and unprovoked assault on her  — a 15-year-old child at the time — in what should have been the sanctuary of her home, which put the offence at the higher end of the scale for such offences.

The judge said there was no doubt the defendant had destroyed his daughter’s sense of safety and protection.

Judge Daly commended Faith Condon, now 19, and her brother William Condon junior, 16, for their powerful and moving victim impact evidence. Judge Daly said a particularly aggravating aspect of the cruelty the defendant had shown to his son was that it went on so regularly and over such a long period.

Sergeant Liam O’Dwyer testified at Cork Circuit Criminal Court that the count of assault causing harm on Faith Condon included pushing her face into a pillow, causing her to bleed and making it difficult to breathe.

The cruelty to his son included an occasion in September/October of the same year when he punched his son and dragged him into his bedroom. He jumped on the kitchen table, effectively cornering his son as he verbally abused him when his mother was not at home. The accused told his son that he hated his laugh and told him during that one-year period not to laugh.

William Condon senior pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and sexual assault on his daughter, Faith, and cruelty to his son, William.

Last July, a similar sentence of four and a half years was imposed on William Condon senior for a December 2019 conviction for sexually assaulting an eight-year-old girl, with whom he had no family connection.

There was a legal prohibition on naming him in relation to that sexual crime until the present case was finalised.

He was found guilty by a jury after an eight-day trial at Cork Circuit Criminal Court of sexually assaulting a girl by placing his fingers on the child’s vagina at a time when she was present for sports coaching.

Judge Helen Boyle said last July that an aggravating factor was the complete breach of trust: “This was a young girl who should have been safe. You singled her out and lured her to a male toilet. You touched her vagina for a number of minutes and later told her not to tell anyone. You were adult in a position of trust. She was eight.

“She felt proud of herself after giving evidence. It was hard but she was glad she did. This was a strain on her parents. They have become very cautious and developed huge trust issues. Coping was the most difficult thing they had to do. They are very glad she is now doing well.”

- If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please click here for a list of support services.