Paedophile priest avoids jail term for abusing boy

Paedophile priest avoids jail term for abusing boy

26 September 2018

A FORMER Newcastle priest who was a serial sex abuser for almost 20 years walked free from court on Thursday.

Daniel Curran (68) was not jailed for sexually abusing a boy more than 20 years ago, and instead ordered to complete 200 hours’ community service. 

Sentencing Curran at Downpatrick Crown Court on Thursday, Judge Piers Grant warned the sexual predator that if any further offences came to light, the community service order was no indication “that you will not receive a custodial sentence”.

Given the fact that Curran had already served significant custodial sentences for similar offences, the judge said he was of the view that had this case been dealt with at the same time, it would not have made a material difference to the sentence.

Judge Grant told Curran, in court facing sex abuse charges for the sixth time, that his offending was a “gross breach of position and trust on your part”.

He said it was well recognised in both North and South that priests and other clergy were held in a “high degree of reverence, respect and in many cases, fear”, so as a group they “enjoyed considerable power and influence”.

The judge went on to say that Curran and others “wickedly, sinfully and by your professed moral standards, dishonestly took advantage” of that trust, respect and power.

He added that “regrettably the very considerable amount of sexual abuse, cruelty and dishonesty perpetrated by priests and other clergy that has come to light in recent years has demonstrated the extent to which that belief was wrong and such trust misplaced”.

At an earlier hearing Curran, from Bryansford Avenue, pleaded guilty to a single of indecently assaulting a male child on a date unknown between January 2 and 6, 1991.

Prosecuting lawyer James Johnston told the court that following a similar pattern to his previous offences, Curran had taken his victim, who was then just 12 years old, and two other boys to his family cottage near Tyrella.

At the time Curran was the parish priest  of St Paul’s in west Belfast, and although that was not the victim’s parish, Mr Johnston said the family “recognised” Curran.

He told the boy’s parents that one of the other boys was refusing to go along unless their son went too and the court heard that “against his father’s wishes, the victim’s mother gave her consent” for the boy to go along.

The lawyer described that at the cottage, the victim was given a “glass of whiskey” by Curran and that all three, along with the defendant, slept in one double bed.

The victim got up to go to the toilet in the middle of the night and when he came back inside, Curran was waiting for him “naked from the waist down” save for socks.

The priest then sexually assaulted the boy.

The court heard that the victim did not make any complaint to the police until 2015 and that when he was questioned about the allegations, Curran told police he was a “hopeless alcoholic” at the time and couldn’t specifically remember the victim being at the cottage.

He did, however, admit that he had “deepest regrets” for his behaviour at that time and had not had a drink since July 1994.

Revealing that Curran has been a registered sex offender since 1994, Mr Johnston said there had been convictions for other offences committed in 1977, 1982, 1986, 1988, 1990 and 1991.

He said that while Curran had been subject to a “significant period of imprisonment,” the last time he was before the court in 2015 he was given a suspended sentence.

Defence barrister Noel Dillon argued that as Curran had undergone counselling, was assessed as posing a low risk of harm and low risk of committing further offences, coupled with the fact that his other convictions pre-date this offence, the court could impose another suspended sentence.

He said that, to date, Curran had been handed more than 15 years of jail sentences both immediate and suspended.

Describing Curran as “very much socially isolated”, the lawyer asked the judge to reflect the delay in the case coming the court.

Judge Grant said he accepted that Curran had expressed what he accepted as “genuine remorse,” an attitude back up by the fact he had undergone therapy and had confessed from the outset to prevent the victim the ordeal of giving evidence.

Turning to sentencing guidelines, Judge Grant said that in cases where a defendant had committed multiple offences over a number of years which had already been dealt with by earlier courts, he was obliged to take account of the “totality principle”.

He said he therefore had to consider whether or not the offence before him would have impacted the sentence from the earlier court.

Following Curran’s sentencing, an NSPCC spokesman said: “Curran carried out an appalling attack on his young victim from a position of great trust and power.

“Sexual abuse ruins childhood and can have catastrophic effects into adulthood.

“Many survivors do not reveal their ordeal at the time so it is vital that they are able to access support — as well as justice — when they are eventually able to disclose what happened to them.

“We would urge survivors of sexual abuse to come forward in the knowledge that their voices will be heard.

“Anyone concerned about a child’s welfare can contact the NSPCC for help and advice.”