Ex-priest sentenced to four years

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A former priest has been sentenced to four years in jail for the indecent assault of two boys

UTV (N.Ireland)

Published Wednesday, 29 February 2012

Ex-priest sentenced to four years

Daniel Curran leaves Downpatrick courthouse. (© Pacemaker)

Daniel Curran, who has three previous convictions for similar offences, abused the youngsters between 1986 and 1992 while he was a parish priest in west Belfast.

The boys were aged between 9 and 10 and were connected to the church.

Curran had pleaded guilty to five charges of indecent assault.

At Downpatrick Crown Court on Wednesday, Judge David Smyth QC said the offences occurred against a background of trust placed in the priest.

In respect of one of the boys, the abuse was carried out over a period of time and could be described as a “campaign of abuse” against that boy.

In the 80s and early 90s, he regularly took young boys from his parish at St Paul’s in west Belfast to his isolated cottage near Tyrella beach in Co Down.

The boys went on the promise of an escape from the daily violence then raging on their streets – but instead they were plied with alcohol and sexually abused.

In 1995, Curran was sentenced to seven years in jail for abusing nine boys the youngest aged only eight years old.

© UTV News

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Ex-priest Daniel Curran jailed for four years for abuse

Former priest Daniel Curran

Former priest Daniel Curran abused the boys at his family’s holiday home

A former priest and convicted paedophile has been jailed for four years for sexually abusing two young boys.

The offences took place over a period of five years between 1989 and 1994. The boys were aged nine and 10.

It is the fourth time Daniel Curran, 61, of Bryansford Road, Newcastle, has been charged with child abuse.

Downpatrick Crown Court heard the offences took place at Curran’s family holiday home near Tyrella, County Down.

He had been serving at the time as a priest in west Belfast and had gained the trust of parents when he took their children away overnight.

The prosecution said the boys saw it as an opportunity to get away from the Troubles in Belfast.

In his judgement, Judge David Smyth QC said that a mitigating factor was that Curran had pleaded guilty at the first available, and reasonable, opportunity.

This allowed the victims to be told that there was not going to be a public trial.

The judge also said that Curran has accepted that he was responsible for the acts against the boys.

The former priest also accepted that there may be others whom he cannot remember because the offences were committed when he had a significant alcohol problem.

The court also heard that Curran had been assaulted four times when he was in prison.

The judge said that he would take this into account but only to a limited extent.

Victims

The judge said he had to take into account what the overall sentence would have been if imposed at the time the offences were committed and the fact that this is Curran’s third return to prison.

“Nonetheless there were at least 13 victims,” he said.

“The time span was just short of 17 years. The abuse of trust was of great magnitude.

“The impact on victims, their parents and upon public trust and confidence was considerable.

“While Mr Curran’s approach to these allegations did not result in the delay in the victims coming forward I am satisfied that his approach to these matters in 1995 and in 2005 and 2006 lacked the kind of penitence that could allow the court now to accept true remorse.”

Judge Smyth sentenced Curran to three years imprisonment in respect of the four offences against the first boy to run concurrently.

He imposed a consecutive sentence of one year in relation to the offence against the second boy.

The former priest has three previous convictions for similar offences of abusing young boys.

The judge told the court that Curran had been committing offences over a period of 16 to 17 years.

He had abused a total of 13 boys who were aged between eight and 12.

Curran was given access to the boys in each case by trusting parents.

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Former Priest “So drunk” he did not remember abusing two boys

InsideIrelnd.ie

February 24, 2012

By Olivia Kerr

A court has heard that a former priest and a convicted paedophile was so drunk at one point that he did not remember abusing two young boys.

This is the fourth time that Daniel Curran, 61, of Bryansford Road, Newcastle, has been charged of child abuse.

He pleaded guilty to five charges of indecent assault against two young boys in 1986.

Down Crown Court heard that the incidents took place at Curran’s family holiday home near Tyrella, County Down.

Curran was serving time as a Priest in West Belfast during the time the incidents took place, and had gained the trust of the parents of the children for the two boys to stay overnight with him.

The Prosecution said that the children saw this trip away as an opportunity to get away from the Troubles.

Curran was given a seven-year-sentence for similar offences involving nine other children in 1995.

The judge questioned why Curran had not volunteered the names of his other victims when he was arrested for the first time.

Curran’s defence barrister claimed that the priest had been sent to England by the church to tackle with his alcoholism and attitudes to sexual matters.

They continued that at the time the incidents took place, Curran was completely drunk and out of control.

Part of the course encouraged him not to name any other of his victims to respect their privacy.

Curran is currently living with and caring for his 91-year-old-mother. A medical report suggested that any custodial sentence her son got would have an adverse effect on her health.

Curran will be sentenced next week.

One Response to Ex-priest sentenced to four years

  1. Sylvia says:

    The one and only saving grace in this dirty mess is that Curuan can no longer use his collar/priesthood to prey on little boys.

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