Jail me – I’ve nowhere to go, says paedophile

A CONVICTED paedophile who went missing before Christmas has asked to be jailed because he can’t find anywhere to live.

Joseph O’Brien, 62, was previously jailed for indecent assault of a minor and was also given a fourmonth suspended sentence last November for failing to notify gardaí of a change of address, as required under the law.

O’Brien, formerly of Pound Street, Ballaghaderreen, Co. Roscommon, is required to check in with his local Garda station regularly or face the four-month term. However, before Christmas he went missing following press coverage of his case. On December 22, at Ennis District Court, Judge Patrick Durcan issued a bench warrant for his arrest.

O’Brien turned himself in on December 27 and has been in custody since. At Ennis District Court yesterday, John Casey, solicitor for O’Brien, said his client was willing to take the jail sentence. Mr Casey said: ‘Because of tabloid interest in the case, accommodation for Mr O’Brien is impossible.’

However, Judge Durcan said the ‘answer isn’t that this man is left in prison so that basically the media can’t get at him there’. The case was adjourned for a week to allow the Probation Service to liaise with Mr Casey to try to identify some accommodation for his client. The judge remanded O’Brien in custody to next Wednesday for sentencing.