Case No. 0902Sexual assault, indecent assault, rape · Co. Meath
Declan Daly jailed for 20 years for sexual abuse spanning three decades
Declan Daly, 54, of Cassidy Apartments, Kells, Co Meath, was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court to 22 years' imprisonment for sexual offences against four women spanning three decades. He pleaded guilty to 12 counts of sexual assault and indecent assault against three women on dates between 1982 and 2002, and was convicted at trial of three counts of raping a fourth victim in 2022. The judge imposed consecutive sentences totalling 22 years, with the final two years suspended for five years. The four women read victim impact statements to the court, and the second abuser of the final victim was separately jailed for 13 years.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrestednot reported
- Chargednot reported
- In court31 Oct
- Verdictnot reported
- Sentenced31 Oct
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- Daly's sexual abuse of four women spanned three decades, with offences between 1982 and 2002, and he was a teenager for some of the offending.
- The 12 counts of sexual assault and indecent assault were against three women victims.
- The later rapes of a fourth victim occurred after she told Daly she had been sexually abused by another man.
- Daly silenced one victim with threats against her beloved animals.
- Where
- Daly lives at Cassidy Apartments, Kells, Co Meath.
- Charges
- Daly pleaded guilty to 12 counts of sexual assault and indecent assault.
- Daly was convicted at trial of three counts of raping a further victim in 2022.
- In court
- The case was heard at the Central Criminal Court before Mr Justice Tony Hunt and a jury of four men and eight women.
- Sentence
- The judge imposed consecutive sentences totalling 22 years, with the final two years suspended for five years.
- Other details
- The second abuser of the final victim was jailed for 13 years.
- The offending against the final victim was in the highest category meriting 15 years to life imprisonment.
- The four women each read victim impact statements to the court.
- Daly has a small number of previous convictions primarily for road traffic offences.
28 statements extracted from the articles
- whatThe 12 counts were against three women victims (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe later rapes occurred after the victim told Daly she had been sexually abused by another man (irishtimes.com)
- whatDaly silenced one victim with threats against her beloved animals (irishtimes.com)
- whereDaly lives at Cassidy Apartments, Kells, Co Meath (irishtimes.com)
- whenLawrence met Pastor Brazelle in Pretoria in early May 2016 (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe offences occurred on dates between 1982 and 2002 (irishtimes.com)
- chargeDaly pleaded guilty to 12 counts of sexual assault and indecent assault (irishtimes.com)
- chargeDaly was convicted at trial of three counts of raping a further victim in 2022 (irishtimes.com)
- courtAn application to extradite van der Westhuizen to Ireland will take place when he finishes his sentence in South Africa (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe trial continues before Mr Justice Tony Hunt and a jury of four men and eight women (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe case was heard at the Central Criminal Court (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceThe judge imposed consecutive sentences totalling 22 years imprisonment (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceThe final two years of the sentence were suspended for five years (irishtimes.com)
- otherRuth Lawrence feared she would become a victim of human trafficking (irishtimes.com)
- otherVan der Westhuizen was convicted in 2020 on six counts of kidnapping, attempted murder and murder (irishtimes.com)
- otherLawrence is 46, originally from Clontarf, Dublin, with an address at Patricks Cottage, Ross, Mountnugent, Co Meath (irishtimes.com)
- otherPastor Robert Roger Brazelle is a pastor at the Christian Revival Church in Pretoria, South Africa (irishtimes.com)
- otherLawrence went to a safehouse in Bloemfontein after being contacted about her fear of being trafficked (irishtimes.com)
- otherPastor Andre Lombard confirmed Lawrence stayed in a safehouse in Bloemfontein in 2016 and worked for the CRC (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe CRC feeds about 4,000 people a day (irishtimes.com)
- otherIn February 2017, three or four teenagers entered a tattoo parlour in South Africa where van der Westhuizen was working (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe youths were assaulted, poison was administered, and they were locked into a room for the night; one died the following day (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe second abuser of the victim was jailed for 13 years (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe offending against the final victim was in the highest category meriting 15 years to life imprisonment (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe investigating garda agreed Daly has a long work history (irishtimes.com)
- otherDaly was a teenager for some of the offending (irishtimes.com)
- otherDaly has a small number of previous convictions primarily for road traffic offences (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe four women each read their victim impact statements to the court (irishtimes.com)
The reporting
newest first- 31 Oct2025‘Monster’ sex abuser whose abuse spanned three decades jailed for 20 years
Reports the sentencing of Declan Daly to 20 years' imprisonment (22 years consecutive with final two years suspended for five) for sexual offences spanning three decades against four women.
convicted, Declan Daly, 54, male, named, irish (judged from name)Declan Dalyvictim, femalevictim, femalevictim, femalevictim, female - 31 Oct2025Murder accused Ruth Lawrence feared becoming human trafficking victim, pastor tells trial
Defence witnesses (Pastors Robert Roger Brazelle and Andre Lombard from the Christian Revival Church in South Africa) testified via videolink about Lawrence's fear of trafficking and her work at safehouses; prosecution outlined its case that Lawrence shot O'Connor and worked with van der Westhuizen to kill both victims; van der Westhuizen's extradition to Ireland is pending after his South African sentence.
accused, Ruth Lawrence, 46, female, named, irish (judged from name)Ruth Lawrencevictim, Anthony Keegan, 33, male, irish (judged from name)Anthony Keeganvictim, 32, male, irish (judged from name)accused, Neville van der Westhuizen, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Neville van der Westhuizen