JAMES KENNEDY WALKINSTOWN DUBLIN OCTOGENARIAN JAILED FOR SEXUAL ABUSE OF NIECE OVER 30 YEARS AGO
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Walkinstown Sexual Abuser
In a case that has spanned decades, James Kennedy, an 86-year-old man from Cherryfield Road in Walkinstown, Dublin, has been sentenced to nine months in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of indecent assault against his niece. The assaults occurred over a period between January 1, 1972, and December 31, 1975, when the victim was between nine and ten years old.
Mr. Justice Paul Carney presided over the case at the Central Criminal Court, where Kennedy appeared to admit guilt to the charges. During the proceedings, the victim expressed her desire to be named in media reports, but the judge indicated that he did not expect her to be pleased with the decision to disclose her identity publicly. The judge clarified that his focus was solely on the two offences Kennedy had pleaded guilty to, emphasizing that these were not isolated incidents but part of a pattern of abuse.
Sentencing was handed down with concurrent terms of nine and six months. Kennedy was remanded on bail until March 31, giving him time to make necessary domestic arrangements before surrendering himself to serve his sentence. The victim, in her impact statement, described Kennedy as a "selfish and arrogant man" who had shown no remorse for his actions. She expressed that, despite his guilty plea, she felt he was not doing her any favors and that his actions had profoundly damaged her childhood.
She further explained that her long struggle with anxiety, fear, anger, and stress was exacerbated by Kennedy’s efforts to prevent the prosecution, employing "every possible trick" to avoid justice. The victim’s statement conveyed a sense of relief now that she had finally achieved some closure after years of suffering.
Detective Garda John Doggett, now retired, provided details of the case to the prosecution. He revealed that Kennedy was approximately 50 years old at the time of the offences. The first incident involved Kennedy exposing himself to the young girl, and on a subsequent occasion, he fondled her vaginal area. The detective noted that Kennedy was arrested in 1999 after the allegations came to light. Initially, Kennedy vehemently denied the accusations, leading to judicial review proceedings that ultimately reached the Supreme Court, which rejected his application to halt the prosecution.
It was also revealed that Kennedy was a former Guinness driver with no prior criminal convictions. After his acquittal in another case involving a different relative, Kennedy decided to plead guilty in this case, a decision accepted by the State.
During the hearing, Mr. Paul Coffey SC, representing the prosecution, informed the court that the Director of Public Prosecutions considered the case to fall within the middle to lower end of the sentencing scale. Kennedy’s son, Mr. Jim Kennedy Junior, expressed that his father accepted responsibility and apologized to the victim and her family. He also highlighted Kennedy’s health issues, including a heart attack in 1996 and ongoing severe health difficulties such as urinary incontinence. His residence had been adapted to accommodate his mobility challenges.
Kennedy’s defense, led by Mr. Patrick Gageby SC, presented medical and nursing reports indicating his ongoing health deterioration. The defense argued that the case should not be viewed as severe, especially considering the time elapsed since the offences and Kennedy’s advanced age, as he was approaching his 87th birthday on June 14. They also contended that had the offences been prosecuted closer to when they occurred, they might have been dealt with summarily rather than through indictment. The defense emphasized that there was no evidence to suggest a pattern of pedophilic recidivism in Kennedy’s case.
Mr. Justice Paul Carney presided over the case at the Central Criminal Court, where Kennedy appeared to admit guilt to the charges. During the proceedings, the victim expressed her desire to be named in media reports, but the judge indicated that he did not expect her to be pleased with the decision to disclose her identity publicly. The judge clarified that his focus was solely on the two offences Kennedy had pleaded guilty to, emphasizing that these were not isolated incidents but part of a pattern of abuse.
Sentencing was handed down with concurrent terms of nine and six months. Kennedy was remanded on bail until March 31, giving him time to make necessary domestic arrangements before surrendering himself to serve his sentence. The victim, in her impact statement, described Kennedy as a "selfish and arrogant man" who had shown no remorse for his actions. She expressed that, despite his guilty plea, she felt he was not doing her any favors and that his actions had profoundly damaged her childhood.
She further explained that her long struggle with anxiety, fear, anger, and stress was exacerbated by Kennedy’s efforts to prevent the prosecution, employing "every possible trick" to avoid justice. The victim’s statement conveyed a sense of relief now that she had finally achieved some closure after years of suffering.
Detective Garda John Doggett, now retired, provided details of the case to the prosecution. He revealed that Kennedy was approximately 50 years old at the time of the offences. The first incident involved Kennedy exposing himself to the young girl, and on a subsequent occasion, he fondled her vaginal area. The detective noted that Kennedy was arrested in 1999 after the allegations came to light. Initially, Kennedy vehemently denied the accusations, leading to judicial review proceedings that ultimately reached the Supreme Court, which rejected his application to halt the prosecution.
It was also revealed that Kennedy was a former Guinness driver with no prior criminal convictions. After his acquittal in another case involving a different relative, Kennedy decided to plead guilty in this case, a decision accepted by the State.
During the hearing, Mr. Paul Coffey SC, representing the prosecution, informed the court that the Director of Public Prosecutions considered the case to fall within the middle to lower end of the sentencing scale. Kennedy’s son, Mr. Jim Kennedy Junior, expressed that his father accepted responsibility and apologized to the victim and her family. He also highlighted Kennedy’s health issues, including a heart attack in 1996 and ongoing severe health difficulties such as urinary incontinence. His residence had been adapted to accommodate his mobility challenges.
Kennedy’s defense, led by Mr. Patrick Gageby SC, presented medical and nursing reports indicating his ongoing health deterioration. The defense argued that the case should not be viewed as severe, especially considering the time elapsed since the offences and Kennedy’s advanced age, as he was approaching his 87th birthday on June 14. They also contended that had the offences been prosecuted closer to when they occurred, they might have been dealt with summarily rather than through indictment. The defense emphasized that there was no evidence to suggest a pattern of pedophilic recidivism in Kennedy’s case.