Paraplegic paedophile is jailed for abuse of Galway girl in the eighties

A wheelchair-bound paedophile who groomed and brain-washed his young Galway victim into thinking she was “an awful woman” and he was doing her a favour by sexually abusing her, has been jailed for five years.

Paraplegic, Martin Davoren (61), a native of Corcullen, Moycullen, with a more recent address at Apartment 153, Carieal Mór, Headford Road, Galway, began his sentence at Castlerea Prison last Tuesday evening after presenting himself by arrangement at Galway Courthouse earlier that afternoon.

From there, he was taken by a specially-adapted vehicle to the prison.

Davoren pleaded guilty before Galway Circuit Criminal Court in March to twelve sample charges of indecently assaulting Sarah Clancy at various locations on dates between September 1, 1986 and July 31, 1988.

Following sentence last Friday afternoon, Judge Rory McCabe agreed to put a stay on the custodial warrant until 2pm on Tuesday to give prison authorities time to prepare for Davoren’s incarceration at the prison.

Ms Clancy waived her right to anonymity at the sentence hearing on Friday and read her own victim impact statement to the court.

She recalled that following one sexual assault at Tonabrucky after he got her drunk, Davoren told her it was her fault.

“I was 13 and I was drunk and scared. He began to blame me for everything.  He said I was an awful woman and I was lucky that he wasn’t going to tell my parents.  These were some of the methods he used to manipulate me,” Ms Clancy said.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.