Court hears former Christian Brother teacher showed 'no mercy' to child victims

A former teacher and school principal convicted of historical child sex abuse showed no remorse and no mercy to his victims, a judge has said.

Crown Court judge Patrick Lynch KC was responding to a plea for leniency in the sentencing of former Christian Brother Paul Dunleavy, 89, with a defence barrister saying there is very real prospect the defendant will die in jail.

Dunleavy, with an address in Glen Road, Belfast, was found guilty in September of 36 charges of historical sexual abuse against nine boys.

The charges included indecent assault and gross indecency with or towards a child.

The offences were committed between 1964 and 1991 while Dunleavy worked at four schools in Belfast, Newry and Armagh. The victims were aged between seven and 14 at the time.

Dunleavy is already serving a prison sentence having been convicted previously on two separate occasions of sexual offences against children in his care.

Prosecuting barrister Neil Connor KC told a sentencing hearing at Belfast Crown Court on Friday that publicity around the previous convictions had led to further victims coming forward.

He added: "This was a substantial, complicated investigation involving a number of victims... this (case) is the largest in terms of the number of victims. Nine in this case, 18 in total."

Defence barrister Gary McHugh KC said: "The most obvious feature I would invite the court to have regard to is the defendant's age.

"Clearly this defendant is going to be in prison well into his mid to late 90s and the very real prospect is that this defendant may die in prison.

"There may be those who say so be it, but it is not as clear cut as the punitive component of the sentencing exercise.

"Prison for somebody in his 90s will be a significantly more difficult place than somebody in their 30s or 40s."

Mr McHugh added: "With all that goes with being a very elderly prisoner, that sense of isolation which comes with being so old compared to the rest of the prisoners, any sentence we say is more difficult for this defendant is more difficult than it would be for a younger and healthier man."

The barrister said the current earliest release date from prison for Dunleavy is May 2026 - before he is sentenced for the latest conviction.

He added: "We say as part of any proper sentencing regime, mercy does remain a feature available to the court."

Judge Lynch said: "It is hard to avoid the comment that your client showed no mercy to the victims of this case, your client insisted on them all having to give evidence, showed no mercy even up to this very moment, showed no remorse."

Mr McHugh said: "I am straightforwardly asking for leniency because of this man's age."

Mr Connor told the court the latest case had doubled the number of victims Dunleavy had been convicted of abusing.

He said had there been a single trial involving 18 victims it would have attracted a higher custodial sentence than what Dunleavy is currently serving.

A number of victims of Dunleavy attended the court hearing.

The judge said he would pass sentence next Thursday.

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