logo
Man (48) given four-year sentence for sexually abusing cousin

Man (48) given four-year sentence for sexually abusing cousin

BreakingNews.ie18-07-2025
A man who sexually abused his three-year-old cousin has been jailed for four years.
Darren Dowling (48) of Palace Flats, Palace Close, St Saviour, Jersey, UK, was found guilty of eight counts of oral rape and three counts of indecent assault that took place at a Clondalkin address between 1990 and 1993 against his cousin Alan Murphy following a Central Criminal Court trial in July 2024.
Advertisement
Mr Murphy has waived his anonymity to have Dowling named. He has three previous convictions, all from Jersey in the UK.
The court heard that one of the convictions involved him engaging in messages with an undercover police officer in which he sent a picture of himself holding a 10-month-old child on his knee and referring to how excited he was and that there was a bulge in his pants.
He was sentenced to 9 months for this offence.
At a previous hearing, Justice Paul Burns said the crimes had an adverse effect on Mr Murphy, leading to him having behavioural problems and abusing alcohol and drugs as a teenager to block out the memory of the abuse.
Advertisement
The birth of his own children helped him to come to terms with his addictions.
'He is rightly proud of himself for seeing it (the trial process) through, and the court hopes that with further intervention and support from his loving family, he will continue to recover,' Mr Justice Burns said.
He set a headline sentence of 13 years for the oral rapes and eight years for the sexual assault, given that the victim was a very young boy at the time of the offending, and his cousin had been placed in a position of trust.
He also acknowledged that the abuse had happened in the victim's home, a place which 'ought to have been a place of safety', Mr Justice Burns said.
Advertisement
He reduced the headline sentences to six and a half years and four years respectively, given that Dowling was a juvenile at the time of the offending.
Mr Justice Burns then imposed concurrent sentences of five years and three years before he suspended the final 12 months of the five-year term on strict conditions, including that Dowling engage with the Probation Supervision upon his release.
The case was adjourned for mention to allow for the hearing of a case in the Supreme Court in relation to the naming of juvenile accused persons when they reach adulthood, and therefore could not be reported until now.
At the previous hearing, Detective Garda Sharon Duncan told Grainne O'Neill, BL, prosecuting, that on July 12th of this year, a jury found Dowling guilty of 11 counts. The court heard that Dowling was Mr Murphy's older cousin and would babysit him and his brother.
Advertisement
The court heard that while Dowling was babysitting, he would bring Mr Murphy upstairs to the bathroom and place his penis into Mr Murphy's mouth and move his head back and forward.
Mr Murphy stated in his evidence that the door would be closed and the offending would last between 10 and 15 minutes. Mr Murphy's brother was outside the bathroom or on the stairs while this was happening.
Time of offending
The court heard that the abuse would take place 'on each and every occasion' that Dowling would babysit. Mr Murphy described how he would scream and hold onto his mother's leg when she was going out.
Mr Murphy was aged between three and six at the time of the offending, and Dowling was aged between 13 and 16.
Advertisement
Mr Murphy's mother gave evidence during the trial, in which she said that Dowling had begun babysitting her sons around the time of Italia 1990. She said that her son disclosed the abuse to her when he was 15 years old.
Mr Murphy's brother gave evidence that Dowling would bring his brother to the bathroom. He said the door was closed and possibly locked, as he had tried to enter the bathroom once but could not. He said that when his brother came out of the bathroom, he would be upset and crying.
The Director of Public Prosecutions placed the offences in the 10-15 year band. The court was told that the maximum sentence available for section 4 rape is life in prison and 10 years for each of the indecent assault counts.
Detective Garda Duncan read Mr Murphy's victim impact statement to the court, which said: 'I never understood the effect the abuse had on me until I gave up drinking and drugs. I was always acting up and misbehaving. I turned to drink and drugs as an early teen to block out the abuse. No one knew why I was so moody.'
He said I was so embarrassed and ashamed of people finding out. 'I was just a little boy; why would he do that to me? It makes me feel sick. I want my boys to know never to be afraid to tell the truth.'
He concluded by saying: 'I am so grateful for the results of the trial.'
Det Gda Duncan agreed with Hugh Hartnett, SC, defending, that his client met with gardaí in Jersey on a voluntary basis and did not contest this extradition from Jersey.
Mr Hartnett said his client was a child at the time of the offending. He said it is 34 years since these offences took place, and his client had set up a life for himself in Jersey.
Counsel said Dowling was first told that no prosecution would take place, and then that decision was reversed. He said that there was one 'blemish' on his client's record for which he received a nine-month sentence.
Ireland
Man (20s) appears in court charged with trying to...
Read More
Mr Hartnett handed letters of testimonial into the court, which described Dowling as a helpful and kind person to his friends.
He asked the court to take into account the very serious factors that distinguished this case from others; he outlined that his client was a child at the time of the offending.
He said there was no use of violence except for the act itself, and no threat was made.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/ or visit Rape Crisis Help.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Teacher claims kiss with teen girl in photo booth supposed to be 'pretend'
Teacher claims kiss with teen girl in photo booth supposed to be 'pretend'

Daily Mail​

time12 minutes ago

  • Daily Mail​

Teacher claims kiss with teen girl in photo booth supposed to be 'pretend'

A music teacher captured kissing a teenage girl in a photo booth has claimed the passionate embrace was supposed to be a 'pretend kiss'. Adelaide educator and flautist Janelle Colville Fletcher, 40, is standing trial in the South Australian District Court accused of sexually abusing a teenage girl. Fletcher also stands accused of grooming the girl and another teenage girl to make them more amenable to sexual activity. The prosecution, led by Chris Allen, alleged Fletcher sexually abused the girl in various locations, including the girl's home, over several months. Mr Allen presented photographs and correspondence between the pair, including a snapshot taken in a photo booth at a cinema which showed them kissing. Fletcher, under questioning from defence lawyer Andrew Culshaw, told the court she did not voluntarily engage in the kiss. 'It was meant to be a pretend kiss, like we had done previously where your lips don't actually touch, and in that particular photo we got close and she did sort of pull me in and yeah, the photo went off,' she said, as reported by The Advertiser. 'Her hand was on my neck and then the lips touched.' Fletcher claimed the teen continued contacting her after the photograph was taken, but that she blocked all further contact from the girl. The prosecution has alleged the relationship began after a game of truth or dare in which Fletcher allegedly dared the girl to kiss another teenage girl. Mr Culshaw, Fletcher's defence lawyer, told the court his client had not engaged in any such game and did not encourage the girls to engage in sexual activity. Fletcher pleaded not guilty to one count each of sexual abuse of a child and communicating with intent to make a child amenable to sexual activity. During cross-examination, she denied ever being sexually involved with the girl, and insisted she was heterosexual. 'That just never happened,' she told the court. The court was also read emails sent by the pair, including one message in which Fletcher told the girl: 'My feelings for you are not lust but love'. Asked to distinguish the difference between lust and love, Fletcher replied that love was 'not necessarily sexual or romantic'. The music teacher said she had intended to 'slowly get her to think it was her idea to not be with me, but to be with someone her own age'. Fletcher admitted she had told the teen she loved her but insisted it was only because she believed it was what she wanted to hear. She characterised her feelings as a 'big sister' type of love. The trial continues, with closing arguments expected to be held on Monday.

Trump news at a glance: president dismisses continued Epstein and Maxwell furore as ‘not a big thing'
Trump news at a glance: president dismisses continued Epstein and Maxwell furore as ‘not a big thing'

The Guardian

timean hour ago

  • The Guardian

Trump news at a glance: president dismisses continued Epstein and Maxwell furore as ‘not a big thing'

Donald Trump continued to face questions about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein as he landed in Scotland ahead of meeting British prime minister Keir Starmer and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen. The US president denied reports that he was briefed about his name appearing in the Epstein files after landing on Friday evening local time. He was also asked about the justice department's questioning of Ghislaine Maxwell and suggestions he might offer her clemency. Trump: 'I don't know anything about the conversation, I haven't really been following it.' 'A lot of people have been asking me about pardons [for Maxwell]. Obviously, this is no time to be talking about pardons' he went on. 'You're making a very big thing over something that's not a big thing.' Here are the key US politics stories today: The furore over Donald Trump's ties with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein continued on Friday as new revelations about the pair's relationship threatened to mire the president's golfing trip to Scotland, where he arrived late on Friday. After landing at Glasgow Prestwick airport at about 8.30pm local time, the US president denied reports that he had been briefed about his name appearing in files pertaining to the case against the late Epstein. He also said he had not 'really been following' the justice department's interview with Epstein's convicted associate, Ghislaine Maxwell. Read the full story The EU appears to be on the verge of signing a trade deal with Donald Trump after the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, announced she would meet the US president on Sunday during his four-day trip to Scotland. Trump landed in Scotland on Friday evening before the opening of his new golf course in Aberdeenshire. He said he was also planning to meet the British prime minister, Keir Starmer, on Saturday. Read the full story The deputy US attorney general, Todd Blanche, held a second in-person meeting on Friday with Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted sex trafficker and longtime associate of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Blanche had confirmed the two met behind closed doors in Tallahassee, Florida, on Thursday, at the federal prosecutor's office within the federal courthouse in the state capital, and they met again on Friday. Read the full story Kenny Laynez-Ambrosio was driving to his landscaping job with his mother and two male friends when they were pulled over by the Florida highway patrol. In one swift moment, a traffic stop turned into a violent arrest. Video of the incident captured by Laynez-Ambrosio, an 18-year-old US citizen, appears to show a group of officers in tactical gear working together to violently detain the three men. The video has put fresh scrutiny on the harsh tactics used by US law enforcement officials as the Trump administration sets ambitious enforcement targets to detain thousands of immigrants every day. Read the full story The White House has announced that it will release $5.5bn in frozen education funds back to US states. That announcement came on Friday after Donald Trump's administration decided to abruptly withhold the congressionally approved funds a day before their 1 July release for the 2025-26 school year. South Park co-creator Trey Parker had the briefest response to anger from the White House over this season's premiere, which showed a naked Trump in bed with Satan. Two high-ranking officials at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration were placed on administrative leave on Friday, fueling speculation that the Trump administration was retaliating against them for actions taken during the president's first term. Catching up? Here's what happened on 24 July 2025.

MP's career in tatters after being found guilty of sexually abusing two men
MP's career in tatters after being found guilty of sexually abusing two men

Daily Mail​

time2 hours ago

  • Daily Mail​

MP's career in tatters after being found guilty of sexually abusing two men

A state MP is set to lose his seat after he was found guilty of sexually abusing two young men - one of whom was a teenager - during his time in office. Kiama MP Gareth Ward, 44, stood trial in the NSW District Court after pleading not guilty to sexual intercourse without consent and indecent assault charges. He was accused of inviting a drunk 18-year-old man - whom he had met a year prior - to his South Coast home in February 2013. The man told the jury that Ward plied him with drinks before indecently assaulting him three times in one night, despite his attempts to resist. Two years later, the long-time MP sexually assaulted an intoxicated political staffer after a mid-week event at NSW Parliament House in 2015. The man, who was 24 at the time but is now in his 30s, said Ward climbed into bed with him, groped his backside, and sexually assaulted him despite him repeatedly saying 'no'. After deliberating for two-and-a-half days, the jury on Friday returned unanimous guilty verdicts for the four sexual offences. A verdict on a fifth charge of common assault was not necessary because the jurors found the act amounted to an indecent assault. Ward will be sentenced at a later date. After the jury was dismissed, crown prosecutor Monika Knowles applied for Ward to be taken into custody. The application was adjourned until Wednesday but Ward will be restrained by strict bail conditions until then. He is required to report to police daily and notify officers when he is planning to move between his Sydney and South Coast homes. Ward didn't speak as he walked out of Darlinghurst Courthouse on Friday afternoon - a stark contrast to his usual smile at waiting photographers. His parliamentary position could become vacant as a result of the convictions, one of which carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in jail. The NSW Constitution states MPs will have their seat vacated if convicted of offences punishable with a term of more than five years' imprisonment. But Ward still has time to lodge an appeal. A NSW government spokesperson said the justice system had delivered a decisive outcome and Ward should resign from parliament immediately. 'Should Mr Ward refuse to resign, the government will take steps to protect the Legislative Assembly's integrity,' the spokesperson said in a statement. Liberal Party leader Mark Speakman has called for Ward's resignation. 'The Member for Kiama must resign from Parliament. If Mr Ward does not resign, then upon its resumption the Parliament should swiftly take all appropriate steps to protect its integrity,' Speakman said. Ward denied the allegations against him, claiming the incidents either didn't happen or didn't amount to sexual abuse. But Ms Knowles said there were too many similarities between the accounts of the two complainants - who didn't know each other - to be a coincidence. They were emotionally vulnerable and had been drinking when Ward invited them over, plied them with more drinks and sexually abused them without consent while they were lying down, she said. 'You might think what happened to (the complainants) did not happen by random chance or just dumb luck,' Ms Knowles told the jury. 'Similar behaviour, similar setting, same man, same conclusion. This is not a coincidence.' The evidence showed Ward had a tendency to act on his sexual interest in young men less powerful than he was by committing sexual offences against them, the prosecutor argued. 'These people weren't overtaken by force, they were taken by surprise,' Ms Knowles said. Ward has held the Kiama electorate since 2011, winning three elections under the Liberal banner before securing the 2023 poll as an independent.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store