A man who engaged in inappropriate and illegal sexual activity with a teenage female soccer player has been given a six-year sentence with the final two years suspended.
Richard Farrell, 61, was convicted by a jury following a trial earlier this year of four counts of defilement, which occurred on dates between August 2008 and January 2009 when the young woman was 16.
He was aged 45 at the time and a soccer coach for her team.
The young woman told the Central Criminal Court - in her victim impact statement - of the harmful and far-reaching effects of the offending on her life.
She said that looking back to when she met Farrell she appeared "very childlike" and a "tom boy, in soccer gear every day" and it pains her now that a man could have looked at her in a sexual way.
She said she could not believe that a coach would be interested in her and for a time felt like she could achieve anything. She said her dreams were crushed when she realised it never had anything to do with soccer. She said that she had loved soccer at the time but she now hated it.
The young woman said Farrell had got to her at an impressionable age when she was learning about love and knew nothing about grooming. The young woman said she had believed the abuse was love.
The court heard that she wished to retain her anonymity but had no issue with Mr Farrell being named.
"I could not imagine hurting anyone, not alone the most precious in society – children," she told Mr Farrell.
"I hope my words haunt you forever," she told him.
Farrell, with an address at Lough Conn Avenue, Ballyfermot in Dublin, had pleaded not guilty to the offences at his trial. He has one prior conviction for a road traffic offence.
The maximum sentence for these offences is ten years, as Mr Farrell was in a position of authority.
Passing sentence, Ms Justice Eileen Creedon said it was clear the offending had a profound effect on the young woman, impacting her confidence, trust and relationships.
The judge said that Farrell was older and someone with considerable life experience, as well as being in a position of authority as the girl's sports coach. The judge said he took advantage of his position to make sure he had full access to her.
Ms Justice Creedon said that had groomed the girl over a period prior to the inappropriate sexual behaviour.
The judge noted that she had to have regard to rehabilitation. Farrell has been assessed by the Probation Service as at low risk of reoffending.
She also noted that the father and grandfather has not been in trouble before or since, apart from a road traffic offence, and there were testimonials before the court outlining his contribution to the community.
The judge set a headline sentence of seven years imprisonment.
Ms Justice Creedon imposed a sentence of six years and suspended the final two years on conditions including two years’ probation supervision and that he participate in appropriate offence related assessment and treatment to include a therapeutic programme for sexual harmful offending.
Further conditions include co-operation with any multi-agency management of risk, in particular in relation to any restrictions regarding his access to children or other vulnerable persons.
The court heard that Farrell became "a big feature in her life" and that he started collecting her at night and driving her around, which progressed to sexual activity.
Thia contact began in the summer of 2008 and occurred multiple times a week.
The girl later made a complaint and Farrell was interviewed by gardaí in May 2020. He said he knew the girl but denied the defilement charges.
He said there had not been any sexual relations with her that were unlawful and all contact was after she turned 18.
The court heard that Farrell had been working as a soccer coach throughout this period.
In her victim impact statement, the young woman said she could not believe an adult was giving her so much attention, which made her feel special, but that his attention to her came at a price - it was conditional and transactional.
She also described how difficult it was for her medical and therapy sessions to be signed off to the court process.
Defence counsel John Fitzgerald said that Farrell accepts the verdict of the jury that he had sexual relations with someone 30 years younger than himself. He said that his client accepted it was highly inappropriate and wrong.
Mr Fitzgerald said that Farrell had been heavily involved in soccer and earned his UEFA badge to work in that field but that all ended as a result of the allegations.
He said his client had made a very serious error with very serious impacts but was not seeking to minimise what he did.
Counsel asked the court to take into account character statements outlining his skills as a coach and his contribution to the community. He said many had benefited from his voluntary involvement as a coach and not all of that could be taken away.
He also handed in a letter of apology from Farrell.
Mr Fitzgerald said the offending had been highly serious and inappropriate but occurred during an isolated time frame and injured party in particular circumstances. He asked the court to extend what leniency it could given his client’s age.
