NOEL SAVAGE FROM CO WICKLOW AND GALWAY SENTENCED TO NINE YEARS FOR RAPE AT GALWAY COMMUNION CELEBRATION

In October 2011, a man named Noel Savage was sentenced to nine years in prison after being convicted of raping a 13-year-old girl during a Communion celebration. Savage, who is originally from Bray in County Wicklow but was residing at Corrib Park in Newcastle, Galway, was found guilty of serious sexual offenses committed against the young girl at a house in Galway on May 16th, 2010.

He had previously pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court in July of that year to the sexual assault of the girl. The jury later convicted him of one count of rape and an additional count of sexual assault related to the same victim. Savage had maintained his innocence during the trial, pleading not guilty to the charges, but the evidence presented led to his conviction.

During the proceedings, the victim provided her testimony via video-link, recounting that Savage had been giving her and her friends vodka mixed with coke throughout the course of the party. The court heard that the incident took place after the Communion celebrations, with the adults gathered in the kitchen and the younger children, including the victim, in the front room. The young girls had been drinking vodka and Coca-Cola in a spare bedroom around 1 a.m., sharing a double bed.

It was during this time that Savage entered the room to say goodnight to the girls. According to the victim, he then proceeded to put his hands down her pyjamas, kissed her, and assaulted her sexually. Following the assault, Savage took her to the bathroom, where she vomited, and then returned her to the bedroom, where he attempted to have sex with her.

The girl recounted that she woke up at 6 a.m., still naked, and managed to put her underwear back on before falling asleep again until 9 a.m. When she awoke for the second time, the other girls noticed she was not wearing her pyjamas and asked her about it. The victim then confided in her older sister about what had happened, which led to the Gardaí being called to investigate the matter.

In a letter of apology read out by Tim O’Leary SC, representing Savage, the offender expressed remorse, stating that he “sincerely apologises for his conduct, the hurt, pain and anxiety caused” and acknowledged that he was glad the crime was reported.

Mr. Justice Patrick McCarthy addressed the court, emphasizing that Savage had exploited a vulnerable child, who now suffers from flashbacks, depression, and anxiety as a consequence of the assault. The judge sentenced Savage to nine years for the rape charge, with additional sentences of seven years and five years for the other counts, all to run concurrently, reflecting the severity of the crimes committed in Galway.