Mother calls sentence for man who raped her children an 'absolute disgrace'

The court heard that the stress around the impending court case in 2023 triggered trauma that one of the boys had suffered in 2018, when aged 13, and put him in a 'catatonic' state

Georgina Tuohey: 'We are appealing the decision for crimes committed to my son, with special needs. He only got five-and-a-half years for harm he sustained to my children with additional needs.' Photo: Moya Nolan

Three childhoods he ripped apart, pretending to be a loving step-dad.

One child shut down years after the “habitual” rape, becoming catatonic, requiring constant care from his mum, Georgina Tuohey.

This boy had mild autism when, aged just 13, Brendan Cornally inflicted a campaign of abuse on him.

The case involving this child, now 19, was the last of the three prosecutions to finish in the courts on Monday.

This boy’s twin brother was also raped by Cornally, over a longer period, while their sister, now 26, was sexually assaulted by him.

The courts heard how Cornally, a boxing coach from O’Brien Street, Tullamore, Co Offaly, took Ms Tuohey under his wing when she joined the club.

Ms Tuohey said she was in a “vulnerable” state when she met him. He supported her boxing and encouraged her to train more.

Over time, a relationship developed and Ms Tuohey’s boys also started training at the gym. As time went on, and their relationship deepened, he offered to babysit the children when she was training or working.

As Cornally was taken from court on Monday to serve a 17-and-a-half-year prison term, Ms Tuohey called out to him: “Why did you do that to my children? Why did you seek them out and hurt them?”

There was no response from Cornally. The 51-year-old man had been completely expressionless throughout all the court hearings. Ms Tuohey waived anonymity to name Cornally.

She told the Central Criminal Court her son, despite having autism, “excelled”. 

He was talented at chess and loved reading. He was good at art, design and computers. He finished his Leaving Cert Applied and Ballyfermot Community College offered him a place in graphics. He was also very caring.

“Now, he can’t cross the road,” she said. “He can’t wash himself. He can’t cycle anymore. He can’t even understand a child’s [TV] programme.”

Brendan Cornally at the Criminal Courts of Justice (CCJ). 

Expert reports from the Alder’s Unit in Tallaght Hospital, a therapeutic facility for child sexual abuse, diagnosed him with catatonia and said it was “highly likely” it developed because the sexual abuse trauma had been activated by the upcoming court process.

Ms Tuohey told the courts: “His psychiatrist explains that my son’s memory is wiped clean every two days in an attempt to cope with pain. Every two days.”

Ms Justice Caroline Biggs, who presided over both twins’ cases, said the greatest aggravating factor was that Cornally knew of the boy’s condition when engaging in “habitually” raping him during most of 2018.

But she said the guilty plea did prevent the victim of a trial, which she said could have been “catastrophic”.

Factoring in the law on consecutive sentencing and suspending time to “incentivise” rehabilitation, she gave a final sentence of 17-and-a-half years for all three cases. 

Ms Tuohey called from the court that the sentence was “an absolute disgrace” and said her children had been “destroyed” by Cornally.

She has already asked the Director of Public Prosecutions to appeal the case.

'Very disappointed'

Outside the court, Ms Tuohey said: “I am very, very disappointed. How am I supposed to come here and ask people in similar situation – and there are many – to come forward to put your case to the judge knowing your case will be heard and that the sentence will reflect the harm? 

"Today I don’t believe that happened. However, we will appeal. I do have to feel there is a sense of justice out there. We are appealing the decision for crimes committed to my son, with special needs. He only got five-and-a-half years for harm he sustained to my children with additional needs.”

She said the catatonic effects were severe: “He was not able to move, to eat, he became incontinent, he stopped talking, he was borderline of being tube-fed. Now, he can neither read nor write.

“He was doing well, he held his own, he had just done the Leaving Cert 18 months ago. Now he can’t read or write. He can’t be left alone, he can’t cross the road, he can’t shower. Ever two days his memory is wiped clean because of trauma.”