A former Clare Priest has been jailed for two years for indecently assaulting a pupil at a Waterford school over 30 years ago.
Con Desmond of Woodlands, Kilrush Road, Ennis was convicted last month of 13 charges of abusing the young student when he was Principal at St Stephen’s De La Salle National School in Waterford city.
Reading out his victim impact statement in court the injured party said the 77 year old had stolen his innocence and altered his life beyond repair.
In sentencing Con Desmond at Waterford Circuit Court yesterday Judge Donagh McDonagh described him as an "evil man who exploited one of the most innocent who was entrusted to his care".
The offences took between 1977 and 1980 when the victim was aged between eight and 10.
Judge McDonagh imposed a two-year sentence for each of the 13 charges, to run concurrently, and placed him on the sex offenders’ register.
It also emerged the 77 year old had six previous convictions for similar incidents at the school -and had received a suspended jail term.
The court was told Con Desmond left the De La Salle order of brothers in 1983, retrained as a priest and served in several Clare parishes – including Kilmaley and Kilimer – until he had to resign due to abuse allegations.
Around that time Bishop Willie Walsh made an appeal at Masses in Killaloe for anyone with allegations against the 77 year old to come forward, but none were ever made relating to his time in Clare.
Elaine Morgan BL, for Con Desmond, said his client was now living in “self-imposed exile” in Ennis and largely stayed on his own. On the occasions he did go out, he was met with “a hostile reaction” in the community, who were aware of his convictions, she said.
He had served religious life and education for 53 years until the allegations at the centre of his previous convictions were made in 2003, when he had to resign the priesthood.
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