A former Christian Brother and headmaster who indecently assaulted a young boy more than 40 years ago has been jailed.
John Merrick (78) pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to one count of indecent assault on the then 10-year-old at St Vincent’s Primary School, St Philomena’s Road, Glasnevin on a date between September 1st, 1979 and June 30th, 1980.
The victim came forward after reading Merrick was previously sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment on June 11th, 2024 for indecent assaults on two complainants on dates between September 1977 and June 1978.
On Monday, Merrick, of Portmarnock Park, Portmarnock, Co Dublin, was given a nine month sentence with the final five months suspended by Judge Pauline Codd.
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The court heard Merrick joined the order when he was 14 and left in 1982 after meeting his wife the previous year. He worked as a schoolteacher until 1986 when his first offending came to light and then became a tour guide.
In a statement, the victim said corporal punishment was part of school life at the time and would have been administered by Merrick in his office.
The injured party said Merrick was rubbing his back and opened the buttons on his shirt, slid his hand inside his underwear and fondled his testicles.
The injured party said it went on a few minutes but stopped when the school secretary came into the office.
The victim said he was crying and upset and did not tell anyone immediately as he was only 10 at the time, but later told his mother.
He said he came forward when he was 55 following coverage of last year’s case in which the injured party asked for other victims to come forward.
In interview, Merrick confirmed he was headmaster of the school. In relation to the specific conduct, he said he could not really recall but did not deny specifically anything the victim said.
He has 21 previous convictions for similar offences of indecent assault, the court heard.
A victim impact statement was read to the court by Sarah Connolly BL, prosecuting, in which the injured party said he suffers from flashbacks from being abused as a child.
“This affected me from childhood to adulthood,” the victim said.
“I wish I could let the little boy go free from inside my head but I don’t know how to,” he added.
In mitigation, defence barrister lan Callan asked the judge to take account of his client’s early guilty plea.
Six references were handed into the court including one from his wife, who said he has been shunned by his children and his neighbours.
Mr Callanan said it was a “poignant letter” from a lady who had suffered the “caustic” effect of her husband’s actions.
A single count of indecent assault carries a penalty of two years if the commission of the offence was before 1981, the court heard.
The judge said aggravating factors were the breach of trust and the age disparity.
In mitigation, she said she took account of his guilty plea and Merrick’s background and the effect his offending has had on his own life, in that he is socially ostracised.
She also noted Merrick undertook counselling with the Granada Institute – a treatment centre for those who sexually abused children, which the judge said “appears to be effective” as he had not offended since.
