A retired Garda sergeant has pleaded guilty at the Circuit Court in Sligo to buggery and indecent assault against a boy over five years. The case had to be adjourned three times yesterday when the victim, now a member of the Garda Siochana, broke down during the proceedings.
Michael Doherty (68), of Swinford, Co Mayo, a father of six, pleaded guilty to two sample charges of indecent assault and two of buggery. The offences took place between January 1972 and December 1976 in the village of Aclare close to the Sligo-Mayo border.
The court was told that the victim, Garda Joseph Sheeran (38), wanted his name and the details of the case to be publicised to encourage other victims of sexual abuse to report such crimes to the authorities.
Garda Sheeran said he knew the case had the potential to do huge damage to the Garda. He had persisted in taking the case because he felt "huge anguish" for other victims and he was "eager that they realise there is no reason in the world that they should feel guilty. "I went through three years of counselling, and two of those concentrated solely on the guilt I felt."
Garda Sheeran, who is married with two children, said he was "devastated" by the abuse. He added: "Nobody was going to stop me from getting my story out. Today is the culmination of that."
The court heard how Doherty had been a trusted friend of the Sheeran family for many years. His wife, who has died, and the mother of the victim were teachers in the local national school.
The offences started when Joseph, the eldest of five children, was aged about 11. When visiting the Sheeran home, Doherty engaged in "horse-play" with him, disguising the fact that he was touching the child's private parts. This often happened when Joseph's parents were in the room.
When Garda Sheeran was aged between 15 and 16, the offences became more serious. Doherty took the teenager out in his car for driving lessons and committed acts of buggery on him.
The court heard how as a child Joseph Sheeran had always wanted to be a garda. Because Doherty was respected and loved by his parents and he felt confused and guilty, he could not tell them about the abuse.
Garda Sheeran only reported the abuse to the Garda in 1994 after watching a programme about sexual abuse on television. An initial investigation in 1995 did not lead to any prosecution. He did not want to comment on that first investigation, but praised the gardai involved in a subsequent investigation in 1997, after he had made a more detailed statement.
Doherty "robustly" denied the allegations in 1995, but when approached by investigating gardai in 1997, he admitted the offences. He later withdrew this and continued to deny the charges until a week ago.
A Swinford councillor, Mr Pat Oliver, said Doherty was respected for his integrity and honesty. He was a pioneer and cared for the sick and elderly. "He was the most conscientious garda we ever had," Mr Oliver said.
Judge Carroll Moran praised Garda Sheeran for the great courage he had shown in court, and adjourned sentencing until Wednesday.