Paedophile who 'destroyed lives' is jailed for life
Philip Sullivan received life sentences in the Central Criminal Court yesterday for the rape of two boys on dates between April 2004 and July 2006
Wednesday January 30 2008
A paedophile was sent to jail for life yesterday for raping two boys and was told by a judge he had "destroyed incredibly young lives".
And it emerged that Philip Sullivan (43) had already served two sentences for similar offences over a decade ago.
Speaking afterwards, justice minister Brian Lenihan said he backed Justice Paul Carney's decision.
He said: "It's clearly an appalling case and so appalling that he took the view that that was an appropriate penalty, and that's his job and I respect his right."
Sullivan, from Botanic Road in Glasnevin, Dublin, pleaded guilty in the Central Criminal Court to 11 counts, including anal rape, attempted anal rape and sexual assault on two young males, on dates from April 2004 to July 2006.
Garda Elaine O'Keefe told prosecuting counsel that as well as raping and abusing these victims individually, Sullivan had also made them touch one another.
She said Sullivan was previously jailed for two concurrent terms of four years each at Naas Circuit Criminal Court on November 21, 1995, and for a five-year term at the Central Criminal Court on October 6, 1997 -- all for male sex assaults.
Escalated
Mr Justice Carney directed that Sullivan, originally from Co Kildare, be registered as a sex offender. "Under normal circumstances, these latest would have warranted a 12-year sentence, reduced to 10 years on mitigation, but his previous convictions have escalated this case into a whole different category," the judge said.
He imposed concurrent life sentences on each rape charge and five years on the sexual assault counts and refused an application for leave to appeal.
- Abigail Rieley
