ABUSE CONVICTION

Judge found guilty of sexually assaulting young men while he was teacher in Dublin school during the 90s

Gerard O’Brien, 59, made no reaction as the verdicts were handed down in court

• Published: 19:52, 22 Dec 2023

A CIRCUIT Court judge who was also a former teacher in a Dublin secondary school has been convicted of the sexual abuse of six young men almost 30 years ago.

Gerard O’Brien, 59, was before the Central Criminal Court on one count of attempted anal rape and eight counts of sexual assault in relation to six complainants, some of whom were his students.

O’Brien, of Old School House, Slievenamon Road, Thurles, County Tipperary had pleaded not guilty to the nine charges.

The four-week trial heard that the alleged offences occurred on dates between March 1991 and November 1997 at locations in Dublin.

The man was in his 30s at the time of the alleged offences, while the complainants were then aged between 17 and 24.

The jury in the trial returned the verdicts today after seven hours and thirty-four minutes of deliberations.

O’Brien had denied all of the charges against him.

He made no reaction as the verdicts were handed down in court.

Five of the six complainants in the trial were present in court and surrounded by their loved ones.

When the verdicts were delivered, the complainants and their families cried and embraced each other.

Mr Justice Alexander Owens thanked the jurors for their service and excused them from jury duty for fifteen years as a mark of the court’s appreciation for their work.

He noted that he would have been putting O’Brien into custody only for the special circumstances surrounding him.

O’Brien suffers from Phocomelia, which is a rare birth defect that can affect the upper and/or lower limbs. He is missing both hands and one foot.

The judge said that O’Brien is now automatically on the sex offender register.

Mr Justice Owens directed the preparation of victim impact statements and remanded the defendant on continuing bail until sentencing on March 4, 2023.

Options to consider

Justice Minister Helen McEntee said she would be “considering the options open to the Government and the Oireachtas” following the guilty verdict.

In a statement issued this evening, she said: “My thoughts are with the victims – these are appalling cases of sexual assault, I thank them for coming forward.

“I would also like to thank the Gardai.

“I have been clear that we have a lot of work to do to achieve my aim of zero tolerance in our society for all forms of domestic, sexual and gender based violence.

“Part of that is clearly demonstrating that nobody, no matter what position they hold in our society, is above the law or immune from prosecution for such crimes. Today is clear proof of that.

“I will now be considering the options open to the Government and the Oireachtas.

“I have asked the Attorney General to advise.”