A past scout leader, 78-year-old Noel Sheehan, has been sentenced to prison for four years after being found guilty of indecent assault on five young boys. These incidences took place over three decades ago when they were part of Sheehan’s scout troop in Cork. A retired hospital porter, Sheehan resides at Chimneyfields, Glenville, in County Cork. Despite refuting all 17 charges levelled against him, a jury unanimously convicted him of 16 charges following a six-day trial at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.
The victims, who referred to Sheehan as a ‘beast’ and a ‘fiend’, were between 10 and 12 years old when the abuse occurred. The incidents took place during camping trips in the 1980s at locations like the scout hall at Old Schoolhouse (Chimneyfields, Glenville), Mount Melleray in County Waterford, and Drishane Castle, Millstreet in County Cork.
In delivering the sentence, Judge Helen Boyle lamented that the trips, which were meant to be an exciting adventure for the boys, were instead transformed into nightmarish experiences by Sheehan’s exploitation. She pointed out that Sheehan preyed on the boys when they were under his care.
Testimonies of the victims, read out in court, detailed how Sheehan’s abuse shattered their lives when they were children. Three victims recollected resorting to alcohol or drugs, with some resorting to self-harm as a direct result of Sheehan’s depravity.
One of the victims disclosed that if not for therapeutic help to cope with his issue with authority figures, he may not have been able to secure a job or get married. The therapy proved to be a saving grace in his life, and he expressed relief at presenting the impact statement for his younger self who suffered the abuse at Sheehan’s hands.
Reflecting to Judge Boyle, he claimed the scouting motto ‘Bí Ullamh’, translated as ‘Be Prepared’, was cruelly ironic as there was no way to prepare for the trauma inflicted by Sheehan during the scouting weekend sleepovers.
One survivor described being preyed on ominously in the courthouse halls by Sheehan. The victim likened him to a predator, unabashedly tormenting his victims with a smirk, persistent despite a lack of retaliation.
“He made me feel scared and humiliated. In my despair, I sought solace in alcohol and drugs and I shied away from society”, another survivor testimonied. He was a victim of Sheehan’s abuse during Scout trips when he was between the ages of 10 and 12. The victim expressed his lament that his parents had not spotted the signs and stepped in sooner.
One particular victim decided to bring his allegations back to the surface in the year 2021, in hopes of safeguarding others from potential harm. Despite the Director of Public Prosecutions’ initial decision to not bring a case against Sheehan 20 years ago, he was resolved to push for justice. “The loophole that has allowed him to slip through our justice system needs to be closed,” he remarked.
Among the victims, one man confessed that as early as age 13, he turned to alcohol in an attempt to silence the voices in his mind. This route ultimately led to a drug addiction and imprisonment. “It’s my hope that this fiend faces the appropriate punishment for the destruction he’s caused on both me, the other victims, and our families,” he urged.
The court trial saw one of the victims testify that Sheehan threatened to end his life if he spoke out about the sexual assaults. The man admitted to being paralysed by fear, especially upon hearing that Sheehan had access to a firearm. This was following another sexual assault incident in Mount Melleray.
The jury, consisting of eight men and four women, took a mere six hours to hand down a guilty verdict for Sheehan. However, his solicitor Ray Boland SC claimed his client unequivocally rejects the jury’s decision, which prevented him from relaying any form of remorse.
Earlier this year in February, at the same court, Sheehan was found guilty of indecently assaulting a boy scout in similar instances that occurred during the 1980s. He received a two-year sentence, with the final year suspended. Sheehan was given a total sentence of four and a half years, the last six months of which were suspended.
Judge Boyle praised the victims for their courage in bringing their cases forward and commended their eloquent and impactful statements.
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