A Dunfanaghy man has been given a suspended prison sentence for the sexual assault of a teenage girl in the 1990s.
Father-of-two Raymond McGinley was handed a one-year prison sentence, suspended for a period of two years.
The 58-year-old, of Corncreggan, Dunfanaghy, was before Letterkenny Circuit Court in connection with the incident, which saw him touch his victim’s breasts while she was sitting on his knee.
Detective Garda Darren Carter of Milford Garda Station told barrister for the State, Ms Fiona Crawford BL, that the accused pleaded guilty on a trial date in February this year to a charge of sexually assaulting a girl in the 1990s at a named location.
McGinley was 32 at the time of the incident and the victim was 15 years old.
When McGinley was initially arrested and interviewed, this charge came about after he denied other allegations.
Detective Garda Carter outlined that McGinley told investigating officers that the girl came to him with a glass of whiskey. She drank half of it herself before giving the remainder to McGinley.
He said she sat on his knee rather than the sofa. McGinley told Gardai that she was “a good looking girl” and he asked if he could kiss her.
He admitted that he did feel her breasts and said it “happened very quickly”. When McGinley asked the girl if she wanted to take it “further”, she said no and revealed that she was 15.
McGinley said he immediately apologised and said he thought that she was in her 20s.
The woman visited Falcarragh Garda Station in June, 2017 and told Gardai about the allegation.
Barrister for McGinley, Mr Peter Nolan BL, said his client had suffered sexual abuse in his own young years.
“He himself was abused so he would know the effect of the abuse,” Mr Nolan said.
Detective Garda Carter said that McGinley’s version of events was “different” to that of the complainant, who alleged that the accused man had sat on her bed and touched her while she was in the bed.
In a victim impact statement, the woman told McGinley: “What you did to me has affected every part of my life. Time passed and pain faded, but the impact stayed with me.
“What you did wasn’t a moment in time; it was a life sentence. I was just a child, but you took advantage of that.”
She said that she carried a burden in silence for years, feeling anxiety, depression and “completely disconnected”.
She told the court that the incident made her question “who I was and if I was ever safe”.
The victim said the incident had “torn through the fabric” of her family and had “damaged bonds that will never be fully healed.”
She added: “The consequences rippled out far beyond yourself. You made people feel ashamed, angry and hopeless. That is not something easily forgiven or forgotten.
“I am not hiding any more. I refuse to carry the shame. The responsibility is yours and I am asking for justice for the child that you hurt and the family you betrayed.”
Addressing his victim from the witness box, McGinley said: “I would like to apologise. It shouldn’t have happened. Whatever hurt I caused, I apologised.”
McGinley has no previous convictions, Mr Nolan said, and his client enjoys support from his family.
He said McGinley was exposed to sexual assault at a young age and has “suffered throughout life.” However, McGinley did not disclose this at the time as he felt that he wouldn’t be believed.
Mr Nolan said McGinley acknowledged that he “made sexual advances” but his narrative differed from the victim’s statement.
McGinley, who suffers from anxiety, has been placed at a low risk of reoffending and has been deemed suitable for community service.
Mr Nolan said: “I don’t consider him to be a criminal. He is a man who committed a criminal act. He made a mistake and a very bad misjudgement.
“It is the one blemish in his life. He is an upstanding member of the community. He has shown genuine remorse and I believe that his apology is genuine.”
Mr Nolan said this matter represented “an act of total and utter misjudgement”.
Passing sentence, Judge Roderick Maguire said he noted the maximum sentence for such an offence was five years in prison.
Judge Maguire said he noted the “devastating impact” the incident had had on the victim, who he commended for finding her voice and sharing her statement in court.
He said he had to consider the headline sentence taking into account the age disparity at the time, the fact that this was a sexual assault above the clothing, a one-off offence and it took place over a relatively short period of time.
Taking these factors into account he reduced the sentence to one of 18 months in prison.
Judge Maguire said he then had to consider the accused man’s plea which he said was valuable, as the victim did not have to give evidence, as well as the probation report that placed him at a low risk of reoffending and the fact that the accused has no previous convictions.
Judge Maguire also noted the accused had a difficult childhood and health issues and because of these factors he reduced the sentence to a term of one year in prison.
Judge Maguire said the case did not meet the custodial threshold. The entirety of the sentence was suspended for two years.
Dunfanaghy man who sexually assaulted teenage girl gets suspended sentence was last modified: July 26th, 2025 by Staff Writer
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