Tallaght man jailed for sexual abuse of a boy over twenty years ago

By Sonya McLean

A Sunday school teacher who was described by his victim as “a monster” has been jailed for four-and-a-half years for sexually abusing the boy over 20 years ago.

Thomas Garvan (64), who already has a previous conviction for a sexual offence, was a trusted family friend of the then 11-year old boy and he regularly stayed overnight in the man’s home.

Garvan, of Corbally Glade, Westbrook Glen, Tallaght, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to seven sample charges of sexually abusing the boy on dates between December 1996 and October 1999. The victim was aged between 11 and 14 years old at the time.

The now 32-year-old man stated in his victim impact report: “How could a monster like that ruin kids’ lives. He has destroyed my life entirely and I can never get it back. My chance of getting a job, my chance of having a normal relationship with my children and partner are all destroyed.”

He said he started taking cocaine as it really helped him to block out the abuse, but it sent him “off the rails”. He said he had several jobs but couldn’t hold any of them down.

“I didn’t care about anything. I never had a meaningful relationship. I had an excessive interest in sex trying to show myself I was a real man.” He said he got two women pregnant in the same year.

He said he tried to commit suicide three times and he felt that he never had the chance to grow into a man.

“I can’t socialise. I am paranoid. It has affected my parenting skills,” he said.

Garda Tom O’Riordan told Maddie Grant BL, prosecuting that he was contacted in November 2014 by the mother of the victim. She said her son wasn’t ready to speak to gardaí yet but she was looking for advice on how to deal with the situation.

Two months later the victim made a formal complaint to gardaí stating that he had been abused many times in Garvan’s home when he was a young boy.

He described Garvan as being kind to him, making him food and giving him treats. The abuse involved Garvan touching the child’s penis.

Garvan was given a two-year suspended sentence in June 2015 after he pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a different 11-year-old boy in May 2013. This sentence was partly re-activated after Garvan failed to co-operate with the Probation Service.

Judge Martin Nolan said Garvan had abused his latest victim at least 15 times which he said was aggravated by the fact that the man had been in a position of trust at the time.

He described the victim impact report as “troubling” and said the man had suffered considerably in every way.

“His enjoyment of life has been greatly affected,” Judge Nolan said, before he added that he hoped the sentence would bring the man “some closure”.

He noted the maximum sentence for the offence was five years before he gave Garvan credit for his guilty plea, which he said saved the victim the trauma of having to give evidence at trial.

Garda O’Riordan read the man’s victim impact statement to the court. He said Garvan was a trusted friend of the family. He gave him attention and made him feel special.

He said at the time of the abuse he felt dirty, disgusted and ashamed and described it as a very confusing and frightening time of his life.

“It affected my childhood development. I have no normal functions of emotions. I feel like it’s too late for me to do anything now. I’ve lost faith in myself,” the man continued.

He said he felt angry and resentful of his mother because he believed she should have stopped it. He thought his mother was still in denial about the abuse and they did not have a close relationship.

Hugh Harnett SC, defending asked the court to take into account his client’s guilty plea and co-operation with the garda investigation.

He handed in a letter from Garvan’s GP which stated that he was suffering from very significant depression.