Dundalk man sentenced to over seven years for sexual assaults on three young girls

Bill Morrissey (58), Brookwood Lawns, Red Barns Road, Dundalk, pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual assault committed over a two-year period in the late 1990s.

The case at Dundalk Circuit Court was heard in camera but the victims waived anonymity so that their attacker could be named.

Judge Dara Hayes said what occurred was a gross breach of trust and that the defendant had taken advantage of the three cousins.

‘Their childhoods were stolen to satisfy his sexual deviancy.’

Mr Morrissey had pleaded guilty, and on May 8 last was remanded in custody.

One victim was aged about seven when the offending occurred on a date unknown between July 1, 1997, and December 31, 1998.

The second was aged 14 or 15 at the time which was on a date unknown between January 1, 1997, and December 31, 99; and the third about 7 or eight when the offending took place on a date unknown between July 1, 1997, and July 31, 1998.

The first victim had been digitally penetrated by the defendant, and as a result suffered mental health difficulties and has been on medication since the age of 15.

The second injured party was babysitting when the accused called over and was invited in. He grabbed the teenager’s breasts and tried to take her clothes off.

He was interrupted by a child crying upstairs. He left some coins and told the girl to buy cigarettes.

She didn’t lead a normal teenage life thereafter. Her mental health and self-esteem was affected. She suffered with anxiety and found it hard to trust anyone.

Continuing to review the evidence, Judge Hayes said that the third child was asleep in Morrissey’s house when he crawled on top of her and rubbed up and down on her legs through a duvet.

She spoke of the significant impact on her and her mental health, and the added length of the judicial process.

Bill Morrissey has 40 previous convictions, none for sexual offending.

He has three children with his first wife, and two with his current partner.

He now accepted responsibility for offending and had written a letter of apology.

In a probation report, he acknowledged being sexually aroused.

He had been assessed as at medium risk of sexual offending and low risk of violent offending.

Judge Hayes said there were life-long impacts on each of the victims.

The incident involving the first child was the most serious as it involved digital penetration, while in the second the judge said it was demeaning to throw down money.

It could have been worse had he not been interrupted by the child crying.

The accused had contested the charges until the trial date last year.

His pleas of guilty were not as valuable as early pleas but were always of value.

The judge remarked that it seemed to him that the defendant’s remorse might well have been deeper had he pleaded guilty sooner.

Consecutive sentences of 3 years, 2 months; 2 years, 9 months and 1 year, six months were imposed, a total of seven years and five months, and backdated to May 8, 2024.

One year was suspended on conditions, including that Morrissey has no unsupervised contact with any child under 18 and that he is under supervision for two years post release from custody.

Addressing the victims, Judge Hayes said that he was sorry they had to be in court. This should never have happened.

‘I’m grateful for you coming to court so he could be punished for the awful things he did to you as children.’