AN 81-year-old man who sexually abused four primary school girls over a nine year period has been jailed for four years.
Philip McCallion, who appeared yesterday at Derry Crown Court, has also been put on the sex offenders register for 10 years.
McCallion, from Moss Park in Derry, abused his four victims in a mobile shop which he owned in Leafair Park at the time of the offending which started in 1992.
He was unanimously found guilty at his trial in September of 19 counts of indecent assault and cleared on 10 others.
Judge Elizabeth McCaffrey told McCaffrey, who continued to deny the charges, that he had robbed his victims of their innocence.
"You gave evidence at your trial in which you were dismissive of the evidence given by the four complainants and your demeanour throughout the trial was arrogant and blasé in spite of the serious nature of the allegations against you.
"I have set out some of the detail of the evidence given by each of the complainants not because I want to be voyeuristic in relation to what they went through, but as an acknowledgement of what they were subjected to and of their courage in coming forward to give evidence", she said.
Judge McCaffrey said all the complainants had made victim impact statements which set out how they were affected by McCallion's abuse of them.
The judge said McCallion had not demonstrated any victim empathy or remorse.
"The Probation Officer notes that you maintain your innocence in spite of your convictions. Indeed you have asserted to the Probation Officer that you consider that the charges were invented by the four victims as there is money in this for them. Y
"You have not, therefore, demonstrated any victim empathy nor remorse and this attitude, unfortunately, is characteristic of the arrogance you demonstrated during the trial in your demeanour to the court and the complaints against you."
Judge McCaffrey said aggravating factors in the case included the victims' innocence, youth and vulnerability, the number of convictions and the prolonged period of the abuse as well as the impact of the abuse on the victims and McCallion's lack of appreciation of the gravity of his conduct.
