Grandad (73) jailed for abuse of girl

A grandfather has been jailed at Sligo Circuit Court for the sexual abuse of a girl.

Benny Murrin (73) was jailed for three years and ten months by Judge Kenneth Connolly at Sligo Circuit Court on Tuesday.

Murrin had been found guilty by a jury of sexually assaulting the girl following a trial last October and had been remanded in custody.

Passing sentence, Judge Kenneth Connolly said the final insult to the victim was Murrin’s refusal to accept the jury’s verdict that he was guilty.

The court could not remedy this, but it was still a bitter pill to swallow.

The victim was between 11 and 13 when the offences happened, and Murrin was a seasoned adult of 66-68.

The Judge said Murrin took advantage of a young girl for his own sexual gratification.

“It was a horrible sequence of events for this very young girl.”

And having read the Victim Impact Statement, it was clear that the victim would feel the effects of what happened to her for a long time to come.

There was a difference of 55 years in their ages and the victim trusted him. A man of his age should have known better, and he had acted egregiously, said the Judge. But the fact that a jury had found Murrin guilty should be a source of comfort to the victim, he said.

A 73 year old grandfather man has been sentenced to three years and ten months in prison for sexually assaulting a girl.

Judge Kenneth Connolly sentenced Benny Murrin (73) of 1 Tonaphubble House, Sligo at the Circuit Court on Tuesday to five years but suspended the final fourteen months of the sentence.

The defendant was found guilty of four counts of sexual assault of the female following a trial last October and he has been in custody since.

The defendant faced three counts of sexually assaulting the female on dates between January 1 2018 and March 20, 2020. at locations in County Sligo.

He also faced a fourth count of sexual assault on dates between March 20 and March 31, 2020. The victim was aged between 11 and 13 when the assaults were carried out.

Detective Garda Lydia Cawley led by Prosecutor Leo Mulrooney with Elisa McHugh, State Solicitor (prosecuting) said the victim said that after every assault Murrin would ask her “not to say anything to anyone.”

The assaults only ended with the first Covid lockdown.

On a few occasions, the court heard Murrin followed her into her house and pulled down his pants and hers and took out his private parts and rubbed them against her and he was touching her all over and it happened every time they were alone.

The victim also told the jury that she was playing with an X Box in her house when the defendant asked her to come down and have something to eat.

He was lying in a bed and told her to come in as he had something to show her.

The defendant pulled down his pants and hers and sexually assaulted her.

He told her she was beautiful, but she resisted and she tried to escape but he had the door locked, the court heard.

Afterwards he left as if nothing had happened. She was scared and frightened and wore baggy pants and jumpers and it made her feel insecure.

On the first assault Murrin was gratifying himself and touching his victim’s bottom.

The second assault happened as Murrin took down his and his victim’s pants and was gratifying himself which was “disgusting” and he was rubbing himself against her.

The third assault happened in a graveyard where Murrin made his victim touch his private parts.

Mr Mulrooney told the court that the victim’s instructions were that the perpetrator could be named.

Her victim impact statement, which was read on her behalf, said that every morning when she awoke, she was reminded of the man who had ruined her life but was “not able to hurt me anymore.”

This case had affected her mental health, and she could not go out as she felt ashamed.

She had been to a GP and was not able to go to school and could not go out as she did not feel safe. The victim could not eat and had bad dreams and was nervous of going into the shop.

She had self-harmed and had lost all her trust in men. But she was hoping to be able to move on.

MS Eileen O’Leary SC, with Mr Eugene Deering, BL instructed by Mark Mullaney said Murrin had met gardai by arrangement and had co-operated with Tusla even though he continued to deny the allegations.

Murrin had a difficult childhood as his father was an alcoholic and he had to leave school early to work to support his family.

He had several medical conditions including an enlarged prostate, depression, cardiac problems and had suffered two strokes.

A number of testimonials on his behalf were read out in court.

Ms O’Leary said Murrin did not accept the verdict of the jury, but he had led a blame free life for 73 years.

Owing to his age and medical conditions, jail would be very difficult for him, she said.

He had also lost a number of friends through suicide and had suffered depression after his marriage had broken up.

Ms O’Leary said Murrin had been involved with many people over many years but did not fit the predator category and she asked the court to be as lenient as possible.

Passing sentence, Judge Kenneth Connolly said the final insult to the victim was Murrin’s refusal to accept the jury’s verdict that he was guilty.

The court could not remedy this, but it was still a bitter pill to swallow. The victim was between 11 and 13 when the offences happened, and Murrin was a seasoned adult of 66-68.

The most serious offence was the fourth count, and the court would sentence on this count and take the remainder into consideration. Murrin took advantage of a young girl for his own sexual gratification.

“It was a horrible sequence of events for this very young girl.”

And having read the Victim Impact Statement, it was clear that the victim would feel the effects of what happened to her for a long time to come.

There was a difference of 55 years in their ages and the victim trusted him.

A man of his age should have known better, and he had acted “egregiously.” But the fact that a jury had found Murrin guilty should be a source of comfort to her. The sentence was backdated to October 2023, when he had first gone into custody.

He was also placed on The Sex Offenders Register.