The Court of Criminal Appeal has dismissed an appeal by a west of Ireland farmer and church sacristan against the alleged severity of his 11-year jail sentence for sexual assault of a young female family friend.
The depravity of the offences "more than justified" the 11 year sentence imposed on Gerald McNeill, Mr Justice Adrian Hardiman, presiding at the three judge appeal court said.
In June 2004, McNeill (60), Castlerea, Co Roscommon, was convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury on seven charges related to the abuse, which started in the 1990s when the girl was nine years old and continued over several years.
McNeill, who denied the claims, was sentenced to a total of 11 years in jail by Mr Justice Henry Abbott, who directed that his name be added to the register of sex offenders.
The judge was also told the victim wanted McNeill named in media reports.
Yesterday, the three judge appeal court consisting of Mr Justice Adrian Hardiman, presiding, Mr Justice Declan Budd and Mr Justice Daniel Herbert, dismissed McNeill's appeal on sentence.
Earlier this year the court rejected McNeill's appeal against his conviction.
Yesterday, Mr Justice Hardiman said the court could find no fault with the sentence in this "very bad case". The depravity of the offences "more than justified" the sentence, he added.
Following his trial at the Central Criminal Court, a jury convicted McNeill of orally raping the girl in a turf shed in 1991 and also convicted him on two charges of sexually assaulting her in 1992 and 1993. The assaults happened in the turf shed, the local church and outside the victim's home.
The trial heard the victim's family had totally trusted McNeill and the girl's mother was devastated by what had occurred.