SEX ABUSER JAILED FOR 20 YEARS
A man known as a “monster” for his sexual abuse spanning over thirty years has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.Declan Daly, aged 54 and residing at Cassidy Apartments in Kells, County Meath, admitted guilt before his trial to 12 charges of sexual and indecent assault involving three female victims on dates between 1982 and 2002.
Additionally, he was found guilty at trial of three counts of raping a different woman in 2022.
Prosecutor Carl Hanahoe SC informed the court that the women involved wished to remain anonymous, but they had no objection to Daly being publicly identified in relation to this case.
It was revealed that the later sexual assaults happened after one victim disclosed that she had previously been sexually abused by another man.
The full extent of Daly’s abuse was uncovered when this last woman disclosed her experiences with both men.
The second perpetrator, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was already convicted and sentenced to 13 years in prison.
During the court hearing, this woman urged others to come forward and report abuse, highlighted in her victim impact statement.
Justice Patrick McGrath expressed that describing the harm done by Daly as merely “harrowing” did little justice to the severity of the crimes.
He emphasized the hope that the victims could move forward and attributed the abuse solely to Daly.
He described the abuse inflicted on the final victim who endured the most severe assault as “most sinister and savage,” noting she had been exposed to similar harm from another individual.
The judge categorized the offending against her as severe, deserving between 15 years and life imprisonment.
Ultimately, Daly was sentenced to a total of 22 years, with two of those years suspended for five years, in consecutive terms.
During an earlier sentencing hearing, the four women read their victim impact statements, recounting the profound and lasting effects of their trauma, such as shame, low self-esteem, and feelings of anger.
Among their comments, one called Daly a “monster” and a “disgusting, sick man,” while another expressed her ongoing process of rebuilding her life and seeking closure.
The court was also told that Daly had intimidated one victim with threats involving animals.
Gardaí involved in the investigation concurred with defense counsel Dean Kelly SC that Daly has a lengthy employment history.
Kelly conveyed that Daly accepts the jury’s verdicts and expressed an apology to the victims, though he recognized this might offer little comfort.
He asked the court to consider that Daly was a teenager during part of the offending and has a small number of prior convictions, mostly related to road offences.
Counsel pointed out that Daly’s crimes occurred in two distinct periods, separated by time, with the second phase being particularly grave.
