Paedophile is remanded and facing a ‘significant’ jail sentence

Paedophile is remanded and facing a ‘significant’ jail sentence

22 April 2015

A BALLYNAHINCH pensioner is in prison awaiting sentence on child sex abuse charges.

Christopher O’Hare (70) was remanded in custody after his sentencing hearing at Downpatrick Crown Court on Friday.

Judge Piers Grant QC deferred his decision on the length of the jail term until Tuesday but warned O’Hare he could expect to spend a “significant” time behind bars.

In February O’Hare, of Drumsnade Road, was found guilty on 13 counts of indecent assault involving two girls aged between eight and 11.

The offences took place at his home between 1977 and 1990.

O’Hare, who faced 25 charges in total, was found not guilty on 11 counts, including four of rape. 

After around five hours of deliberation at Downpatrick Crown Court the jury failed to reach a decision on the remaining charge.

The guilty verdicts related to indecent assaults during a ‘scary bull’ game O’Hare played with one of the victims and indecent assaults inflicted on both girls in a number of rooms in the house.

The jury had been told that some of the counts were specimen counts to reflect alleged repeat offending over a period of time.

The not guilty verdicts related to the rape charges and included some of the allegations of assault that were alleged to have occurred outside the main home.

In his evidence, O’Hare repeatedly said “no”, “never”, “not true” and “absolute rubbish” when asked if he ever assaulted the girls.

The former mechanic said he believed they had been manipulated by others.

At Friday’s sentencing hearing, prosecuting lawyer Jackie Orr QC said O’Hare had deliberately targeted his young victims and that there were a number of aggravating features involved, including the age difference between O’Hare and the girls. 

She said the impact of O’Hare’s offending had been serious but chose not to outline the details in open court.

Ms Orr noted that the law for indecent assault offences committed up to 1989 involved a maximum sentence of two years, which was afterwards increased to 10 years. She said that while some of O’Hare’s offences may straddle this period “the benefit should be given to the defendant”.

Defence lawyer John Orr QC asked for a period of probation to be included in the overall sentence.

He pointed out that O’Hare’s indecent assault offences were not at the higher end of the scale and that he was assessed by the Probation Service as being at a low risk of reoffending.

Mr Orr also outlined a number of medical conditions that his client suffered from including hypertension, back pain and osteoarthritis. 

He  pointed to a report from a consultant psychiatrist which said O’Hare was finding it difficult to come to terms with going to prison and outlined the potential effect of the “sudden realisation”.

“He would be at a high risk of developing an adjustment reaction,” the psychiatrist noted.

The medical reports also indicated that “down the road” O’Hare would need “particular attention” from the prison authorities with regards to his health.

Mr Orr commented: “A man in good health would find prison much easier to deal with than the accused who is not in good health.”

Judge Grant said, however, that O’Hare’s medical conditions “could be well catered for in prison”.

He said the pre-sentence reports also showed O’Hare had a “lack of empathy” for his victims and was “seeking to minimise his involvement”.

He said imposing a period of probation could be problematic as O’Hare was “effectively denying that he has done anything wrong”.

Adjourning the hearing until Tuesday, Judge Grant said he wanted time to consider the overall sentence, but told O’Hare that “a significant custodial sentence must be imposed”.

“What you did to these two young girls has been immensely damaging to them,” he said.