A man who made pornographic photographs of a girl he sexually assaulted was jailed today for five years in Dublin.
In sentencing Robert Rammage at the Central Criminal Court, Mr Justice Paul Carney described the pictures as "appallingly shocking".
Rammage (67) had previously pleaded guilty to one count of oral rape, one of making 134 photographs of child pornography, and 14 of sexually assaulting a young girl on dates from June 2002 to May 2005 at a Dublin address.
In mitigation, Giollaiosa O Lideadha SC said his client wanted to express his remorse and apologise to his victim. He added that Rammage spared the girl having to give evidence at a trial by pleading guilty at the earliest opportunity and stressed that the photographs made were for his own gratification and not distributed in any way.
"From a very early stage and throughout he maintained a position not to put the victim through a trial," he said. Rammage, originally from Scotland, lived in Belfast for more than 30 years before moving to Dublin in 1997.
The court heard the defendant, from The Tramway, Spa Road, Inchicore, Dublin, had made a suicide attempt while on remand at Cloverhill Prison and was treated at Tallaght Hospital.
Mr Justice Carney told Mr O Lideadha he was totally ignoring the suicide attempt when sentencing. He jailed Rammage for six years in Arbour Hill Prison for the rape and five years each for the charges of making photographs and sexual assault.
The sentences will run concurrently, with the final year of the six year sentence suspended. The judge ordered that Rammage also has five years post prison supervision and be registered as a sex offender. His sentence was backdated to August 8, 2006, when he was remanded in custody.
"I take account of the affect on the vicim," said Judge Carney. "I'm also required to take account of the plea of guilty, the fact he has co-operated and the fact he was no previous convictions."