Paedophile Priest Handed Suspended Sentence

UTV
March 23, 2015

http://www.u.tv/News/2015/03/23/Paedophile-priest-handed-suspended-sentence-34073

Curran has previously been jailed for similar offences. ©Pacemaker

A disgraced former Catholic priest received an 18 month suspended prison sentence for what a judge described as "a significant and grievous breach of trust'' for sexually assaulting a seven-year-old boy in his care.

Daniel Curran, 64 and of Bryansford Avenue, Newcastle, appeared in the dock of the Downpatrick Crown Court on Monday for sentencing after he pleaded guilty to one count of gross indecency towards a male child and also admitted a single charge of indecent assault on the same victim.

The offences took place between August 1990 and August 1993 at a cottage owned by his family in Co Down when the victim was aged between seven and 10.

Passing sentence, Judge Piers Grant told Curran that he had pleaded guilty to "serious offences'' by "deliberately targeting groups of individuals'' to ply them with alcohol so he could abuse them in the family cottage.

Prosecution QC David McDowell told the court that the victim was a pupil of a primary school in north Belfast and at the age of seven, Curran came to the school in his role as a priest and asked him if he wanted to serve as an altar boy.

The young boy then started to go on trips with a number of other older boys and they would have barbecues and also go to Castlewellan.

He said he was "flattered by the invitation'' to go on these trips.

Mr McDowell said that Curran took the boys to a family cottage in Tyrella, a small seaside village just a few miles outside of Downpatrick.

"The victim describes that the house had one bedroom which had one massive bed and all the boys slept together in the bed with Fr Curran.

"On this occasion there were three older boys with him and Fr Curran provided the older boys with cider and they in turn gave it to the complainant.

“Fr Curran was drinking the cider with them.

"He later woke to find that Fr Curran had moved in the bed and Fr Curran was lying behind in a spoons position.''

The victim, who is now aged 31, told police that Curran then indecently assaulted him and the priest also forced him to sexually touch him.

"The complainant said he made an excuse that he needed the toilet, to which Fr Curran replied: 'You have been a good boy'.

"He then went outside through the front door to go to the toilet in the rain. He described being cold, wet and crying but had nowhere else to go.

"He got back into bed but there was no further touching. Fr Curran then drove them back home the next day.''

The offences came to light in March 2014 when the victim told his wife about the abuse he suffered at the hands of Curran.

"He explained to her that he felt that the time was right to tell what had happened to him. It is apparent the victim is a very private person and didn't want to take part in a victim impact report for these proceedings.''

Mr McDowell QC told the court that Curran had "breached the great trust in which his parents had placed in him by allowing their son to go with Fr Curran''.

The judge was told that Curran was interviewed in August 2014 about the latest complaint that he had sexually abused a seven-year-old altar boy in the cottage.

"He told police that he didn't think that there had been one as young as that in the house,'' added the prosecution QC.

Noel Dillon, defending, said that Curran was remorseful for his conduct even though he has no recollection of the incident.

"He could not remember it all. He is not saying that he had committed these offences or saying that he had not committed these offences.

“It is simply that he cannot remember because at that time he was an alcoholic and alcohol was a large factor in what happened.

"He can only imagine the awful damage he has done to this boy and offers his apology to this boy.''

Judge Grant said that it was the fifth time Curran had been convicted and sentenced for his "serious and significant offending'' towards children who had been placed in his care as a priest by their parents.

The judge also praised the courage of the complainant in coming forward to the police after "attempting to put this matter behind him''.

He added: "One can only hope that having come forward after all these years that this will have a cathartic effect to help him to get over and deal with what occurred and what should not have happened to him in the first place.''

Although Curran was assessed a "low risk of reoffending'', Judge Grant said the aggravating factors were that there was "very high culpability'' on Curran's part because of the "significant and grievous breach of trust on behalf of this defendant'' and the harm caused towards his victim was "considerable''.

The judge said that the mitigating factors in favour of Curran was his guilty plea, that there had been no reoffending since 1995, he had sought therapeutic treatment for his alcohol problems, he had not taken alcohol since his offences first came to light and had complied with supervision orders which had "kept him under proper control''.

Stating that Curran had received prison sentences totalling 13 years and 8 months for previous sexual assaults on children, Judge Grant said: "I take the view that the appropriate sentence for each of these offences is 18 months in custody but given the totality principle, I will suspended those sentences for three years.''

No further orders were made against Curran as he is currently the subject of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) and is on the sex offenders' register for life.