A CONVICTED IRA bomber who sexually abused two children while he was a teenager, has walked free from court after being handed a Probation Order.
Darcy Gearoid McMenamin (47) from Glen Road, Drumquin who was released under the Good Friday Agreement, first appeared in court in 2020, a week after being deported from the United States.
During a previous court appearance, McMenamin was asked if he understood the three counts of indecent assaults between 1992 and 1993 and replied: "Yes, but I don't know what they are".
A police officer referred to McMenamin’s convictions for violence and explosive offences and pointed out: "The victims are terrified".
The defence, meanwhile, insisted: "These matters are strenuously denied".
McMenamin later changed his plea and accepted all charges.
The court heard McMenamin told the first victim, who was aged seven: "Bad men would take her mummy and daddy" if she told anyone.
The child was targeted a second time as McMenamin carried out a sexual act.
Victim two was aged eight when she was playing hide-and-seek with friends and found herself alone with McMenamin in a shed.
Judge Brian Sherrard told McMenamin: "If carried out today one of these offence would be rape, potentially carrying life-imprisonment.
"I bear in mind the extreme vulnerability of the victims and the very significant age gaps. You violated their safety."
He continued: "These appear to have been opportunistic offences, however, their repetition reveals a degree of planning. The issuing of threats significantly adds to culpability. For a child to be threatened with loss of their family is exceptionally frightening and damaging".
Judge Sherrard noted in the pre-sentence report McMenamin stated, “I have no words to explain how wrong this was. It’s disgusting. It should never have happened.”
The judge said, “Your reluctance to accept culpability caused the victims further trauma. It’s also concerning that while you expressed remorse you didn’t voice any clear perception that damage to your victims might be life-long.”
He concluded: “If you were being dealt with as an adult you would have been sentenced to a lengthy custodial term. The fact is you were a minor and must be treated as such today."
McMenamin was handed a three-year Probation Order and will remain of the Sex Offender Register for five years.
Judge Sherrard declined to impose a Sexual Offences Prevention Order having ruled the statutory test was not met.
