By Claire Henry
A man who sexually assaulted his two step-daughters over a seven-year period has been jailed for four years at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Gerard Nevin (41) of Grove Park, Rathmines, Dublin 6, pleaded guilty to 22 counts of sexual assault committed between 2012 and June 2020 at various locations in Clondalkin, Lucan and Palmerstown
The victims are Nevin’s stepdaughters, Catalina Grancea and Alexa Grancea. They indicated they wished to waive their right to anonymity to allow Nevin to be named.
The court heard that Nevin abused Catalina Grancea when she was aged between eight and 16 years’ old. Alexa Grancea was aged between seven and 15 when the abuse occurred.
Having considered the aggravating factors and the available mitigation, Judge Sinéad Ní Chúlacháin today imposed a global sentence of six years on Nevin, with the final two years suspended on strict conditions.
Detective Garda Laura Brennan told Caroline Latham BL, prosecuting, that the victims reported the abuse to gardaí in June 2020.
The court heard that Nevin and the victims’ mother were then in a relationship and they had all begun living together in 2012.
Catalina Grancea was interviewed by specialist gardaí in July 2020.
She said when she first moved into the house, Nevin had been very nice, but that after a few months things changed, and he began to grab her breasts and buttocks on a regular basis.
On many occasions she asked him to stop, but he didn’t, she told gardaí.
She described multiple specific incidents, including a time in 2013 when she had been lying on her stomach on her mother’s bed, scrolling through her phone.
Nevin came into the room and lay on the bed beside her, then sexually assaulted her. He then threatened that if she told anyone, it would be her fault that the family broke up.
The court heard that Nevin pleaded guilty to 12 counts in total relating to Catalina Grancea, which included inappropriate touching of her buttocks, breasts and thigh.
Alexa Grancea was also interviewed by specialist gardaí in July 2020. She said the offending happened regularly but gave specific details regarding ten incidents.
She said on one occasion, she had bent over to put something in the wardrobe when Nevin came up behind her and put his hand on her leg; he then moved it up her leg and touched her genital area over her clothes.
She told gardaí that there were many occasions of inappropriate touching of her breasts, buttocks and thighs.
On one occasion, she threatened the accused with a knife.
Most of the offences took place in the family home, but they also occurred in his car.
Det Gda Brennan told the court that Nevin was arrested in 2021 and interviewed on two occasions.
He took a trial date but indicated in advance of this that he would plead guilty.
A victim impact statement on behalf of Catalina Grancea was read to the court by Detective Brennan, which said “While it was still happening, I developed a hatred for myself.”
She described how Nevin would “grab her wrists so hard they would bruise” and that she that thought this was “what every dad did”.
“I was so embarrassed and ashamed and I would get vivid dreams and nightmares.”
She said “I would nearly pass out from anxiety,” and relayed how she turned to drinking to cope with the nightmares.
She concluded by saying, “I know what happened to me was not my fault.”
The detective also read Alexa Grancea’s victim impact statement which read: “While it was happening, I thought it was normal.”
She said it took her a year to stop crying and that her relationship with her mother had been ruined. She described self-harming and suffering from panic attacks.
She said she didn’t want to go to school: “I just wanted to escape.”
Prosecuting counsel outlined that the maximum sentence available to the court was 14 years.
Eanna Mulloy SC, defending, handed documents to the court, including two letters from Nevin to each of the complainants.
A letter from Nevin’s employer was handed into the court, along with a letter from one of his co-workers.
Counsel said that the allegations had shattered the family life.
Mr Mulloy said Nevin is now in a new relationship and has a young child.
He asked the court to consider Nevin’s good work history and previous unblemished record.
Nevin entered a guilty plea because he did not want to put the complainants through the trauma of a trial, counsel said.