A Westmeath teenager has been jailed for five years by the Central Criminal Court for anally raping an 11-year-old girl that his mother was babysitting at their family home.
Andrew Cox (18), Culsha Lawns, Athlone, Co Westmeath, pleaded guilty to anally raping the young girl at the address on May 9th, 2001.
"He broke hearts, life and life-long friendships," the victim's mother, who referred to Cox's mother as her "best friend" at the time, told Mr Justice Paul Butler at the sentence hearing.
She told the court she wanted Cox named in the media. "I just can't describe him as a great fella and clap him on the back for pleading guilty at the 11th hour," she said, after telling the court that her young daughter's life had been destroyed by Cox's offence.
She said she had not come to court seeking her "pound of flesh" but was there to hear an admission of guilt. Her daughter was afraid to be alone, was inflicting harm on herself and was suffering at school as a result of what Cox did to her.
Cox told the court he wanted to apologise most sincerely for his actions.
Mr Justice Butler said that, while Cox could not claim "diminished responsibility" because of his age, he was taking into account the fact that he had just turned 16th birthday when he committed the offence.
He suspended the last two years of the sentence taking into account his age and his evident willingness to come to terms with the offence he had committed.