Courts

Teacher denies indecently assaulting male student 38 years ago

Jacintha McSherry O’Connor (63) says she ‘never had sexual relations of any kind’ with complainant, who claims she had sex with him when he was 13 and she was a student teacher

Ms McSherry O’Connor told the court that at the time of the alleged offences, she was in a relationship with the man who is now her husband. Photograph: Collins Courts
Ms McSherry O’Connor told the court that at the time of the alleged offences, she was in a relationship with the man who is now her husband. Photograph: Collins Courts
Isabel Hayes
Mon Oct 16 2023 - 17:17

A teacher accused of indecently assaulting a male student 38 years ago has told a jury she never had sexual relations of any kind with the child.

Jacintha McSherry O’Connor took the stand in her Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial on Monday and denied the allegations against her.

Ms McSherry O’Connor (63) of The Mullins, Donegal Town, Co Donegal, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of indecently assaulting a child on dates between June 1st and September 1st, 1985. She was aged between 24 and 25 at the time, and he was 13.

The court heard the incidents are alleged to have happened while Ms McSherry O’Connor worked as a student teacher at a school in Dublin.

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It is alleged that Ms McSherry O’Connor indecently assaulted the boy on two occasions in his home, where she gave him grinds. These are the charges the jury must decide on. It is alleged there was also sexual contact between the boy and the accused on a holiday she attended with his family in Spain.

On Monday Patrick McGrath, defending, asked Ms McSherry O’Connor did she “ever have sexual relations of any kind” with the boy. “No, I did not,” Ms McSherry O’Connor replied.

When asked if she indecently assaulted the boy while in Spain or in his home as is alleged, Ms McSherry O’Connor replied: “No, I did not.”

Ms McSherry O’Connor told the court that at the time of the alleged offences, she was in a relationship with the man who is now her husband.

Garrett McCormack, prosecuting, asked Ms McSherry O’Connor was it not “unusual” for the boy to go to her family house, where she then lived with her parents and siblings. Ms McSherry O’Connor said he would “show up” after he followed her home one day and discovered where she lived.

She said the boy occasionally walked her home as far as the local shops. She said she was “disappointed” he had followed her all the way home as she hadn’t wanted him to know where she lived.

Mr McCormack put it to Ms McSherry O’Connor that she “groomed” the boy for sexual abuse and that “the grooming began when you started giving him grinds”.

He said it was the prosecution case that the complainant has given a correct version of events, “and what you’re saying is not true”. Ms McSherry O’Connor disagreed.

Prosecution counsel asked Ms McSherry O’Connor why the complainant would lie. The court heard he has been “steadfast” throughout and “didn’t waiver” in his allegations. “He has no reason to make this up,” Mr McCormack said. “I don’t know,” replied Ms McSherry O’Connor.

“He did say he fantasised about me, he was in love with me,” she said. She later added: “I don’t know why he brought the criminal case. If he told so many people, maybe they pushed him into it.”

She agreed she has had no contact with the complainant since 1985.

Earlier on Monday, a teacher who went on holiday to Spain with Ms McSherry O’Connor gave evidence.

Doreen Maher Ritchie told the court that she met Ms McSherry O’Connor while they were studying in UCD and that the trip to Spain was her first holiday abroad without her family.

Under cross-examination from Marc Thompson, defending, Ms Maher Ritchie said that she and Ms McSherry O’Connor were together on holidays all the time and didn’t leave each other on their own. She said they didn’t interact much with the boy’s family.

“We were there on our own holiday, two girls together,” she said. “We weren’t interested in kids, we had had enough of kids for the year.”

Ms Maher Ritchie said she had no recollection of any of the boys’ family being in the studio apartment she shared with Ms McSherry O’Connor and she agreed with defence counsel that she didn’t recall ever feeling uncomfortable with anything Ms McSherry O’Connor was doing on holiday or in general around children.

She said she was “absolutely appalled” when she was first told of the allegations against Ms McSherry O’Connor. “We were just two kids on a holiday together, that’s all we were,” she said.

The trial continues before Judge Elma Sheahan and a jury.