A former Circuit Court judge has been jailed for four years for sexually assaulting six boys and attempting to rape one of them.
59-year-old Gerard O'Brien was a secondary school teacher before becoming a solicitor and subsequently a judge.
He was found guilty of one count of attempted rape and eight counts of sexual assault.
Four of the six boys were students or former students of his at the time at CBC Monkstown in south Dublin.
The offences took place between 1991 and 1997 when the victims were aged between 17 and 24 years old.
O’Brien was born with no arms and only one leg.
The court heard this was probably as a result of his mother taking the drug thalidomide when she was pregnant.
He was in his late 20s and early 30s at the time of the offences.
He had denied all the allegations but was found guilty by a jury last year.
The judge said O'Brien had misused his disability to take advantage of his victims.
He said O'Brien had engaged in predatory behaviour and the jury could have had no doubt that he had manipulated things to give him the opportunity to engage in these activities.
Victim impact statements
O’Brien’s sentencing hearing last month heard victim impact statements from three of his victims.
Judge Alexander Owens had delayed sentencing in order to hear from prison authorities about the measures they could in place to deal with O’Brien’s disabilities.
The court heard O'Brien needed assistance dressing and undressing and going to the toilet.
Some of the victims had been involved in helping O’Brien with these tasks.
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Prosecuting counsel Anne-Marie Lawlor said O’Brien had developed inappropriate relationships with students, which involved giving them alcohol and taking them to the pub.
The court heard there was a culture of excessive alcohol use around the school at the time.
One of the victims asked if the school could have done more to protect the boys.
He said he felt he had been manipulated by an extremely egotistical, conniving, intelligent man who was pushing boundaries to see what he could get away with for sexual thrills.
Another man said he suffered from chronic anxiety and had made a suicide attempt.
He said he believed he would never fully recover from the mental damage O’Brien had inflicted on him.
O’Brien’s defence counsel Michael O’Higgins said his client’s disabilities made the case very unusual and unique.
He said O’Brien had scaled lofty heights but had now lost everything.
O’Brien was a former State solicitor for north Tipperary.
He became a Circuit Court judge in 2015 and resigned in January this year after his conviction.
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O'Brien misused position to win trust of pupils - judge
In his sentencing remarks, Mr Justice Owens said that in most of the cases the victims woke up in the night to find O'Brien sexually assaulting them.
The judge said it could be said in hindsight that O’Brien was engaged in predatory behaviour - none of the victims were attuned to what they were letting themselves in for and they were all caught off guard.
He said O'Brien misused his position to win the trust of pupils. The pupils fully trusted him and wanted to help him.
The judge said the jury could have no doubt O'Brien had manipulated things to give him the opportunity to engage in this sexual activity.
Judge Owens said O'Brien was aware his behaviour was inappropriate. There was no reason, he said, why any pupil should have been put in a position to share a bed with him.
The judge noted that O'Brien had told his trial that he did not intend to cause hurt but he said that was an inevitable consequence of what he had done.
It was more likely, Judge Owens, said, that he did not reflect at the time on the harmful consequences of his actions.
He said O'Brien was on the lookout for opportunities to pounce on victims and alcohol was also a disinhibiting factor.
The judge said all six of O'Brien's victims were adversely affected and and blamed themselves.
He said O'Brien's activities as a sex offender came to an end after his final victim fled his apartment and told his mother what had happened.
He was dismissed from his job as a teacher and went for treatment. He subsequently began his legal career.
Judge Owens said given his high profile, after being appointed as a judge, it was perhaps inevitable that victims would come forward. But he said O'Brien had brought it on himself and his conviction showed he had been unsuitable to hold judicial office.
The judge said sex offenders act on impulse and do not think of consequences for victims. The lax regulations and drinking culture in the school at the time did not reduce O'Brien's personal culpability.
Judge Owens said O'Brien showed no remorse and appeared to blame others for his predicament.
He said O'Brien seemed to feel he was manipulated and not the manipulator and was put in a position where boundaries were blurred Judge Owens said O'Brien's victims did not agree with this and neither did he.
His attitude towards the crimes was unrealistic, self-indulgent and lacked insight and he had never really come to grips with his offending behaviour.
In mitigation, the judge cited his disabilities and the fact that he had not offended since leaving the school in 1997.
He sentenced him to a total of five years and nine months in jail, but suspended a year and nine months, meaning O'Brien will be jailed for four years.
Bravery of victims commended by school
The board of management of CBC Monkstown has commended the bravery of the victims in coming forward.
In a statement, the board said it was hoped that the verdicts will help them "begin to recover from the harm done to them".
"The evidence that emerged in this case has been truly shocking and a matter of profound regret for the whole school community," the board of management said.
"It is a source of deep sorrow and regret to all of us that Gerard O'Brien abused young pupils while he was a member of our teaching staff."
The school said that pupil safety and well-being are "of the utmost importance" and "robust safeguarding procedures" are implemented in all school settings.
Counselling services have been put in place which will be available to all victims and survivors, the school said.
'Extraordinary bravery and courage' of victims - gardaí
Speaking outside the court, Colm Noonan, Detective Chief Superintendent of the Garda National Protective Services Unit said they wanted to acknowledge the extraordinary bravery and courage of the victims and the witnesses who came forward in the case.
"Breaking the silence around sexual crime is a courageous and a crucial step towards achieving justice.
"I believe each of the victims will and have inspired others who might feel isolated or afraid."
He said those crimes will have a lasting effect on the victims and their families but he hoped they would now be able to move forward with their lives.
He said the case sends a clear message that nobody is above the law and that nobody is immune from prosecution for sexual crimes.
"The outcome of this case is a big step towards changing the culture and the stigma of silence where victims are able to tell their story and able to tell their story without judgement."
