‘Evil’ Limerick man who beat and punched children jailed

AN “EVIL” Limerick lorry driver, who punched and beat children has been jailed for three years after he pleaded guilty to cruelty to children.

Limerick Circuit Criminal Court heard that David Daly, 37, of Castle Park, Dooradoyle, Limerick, was a cruel and “evil” man who beat and ridiculed three children and pushed a young boy who couldn’t swim into a lake.

Sentencing Judge Dermot Sheehan, today (Wednesday, July 31) lifted reporting restrictions allowing the media to identify Daly for the first time.

Judge Sheehan said Daly “bullied (the children) by demeaning them with verbal abuse” and meted out “significant violence” to the children.

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Daly’s three victims were aged 10, 11 and 12 when Daly physically and emotionally abused them.

Daly “punched” and “slapped” the children and called them “scumbags” on dates between January 1, 2018 and July 10, 2019.

Daly even tried to “control” how his victims spoke, the court heard.

Daly pleaded guilty to three separate counts of cruelty to children, contrary to Section 246 of the Children Act, 2001.

The maximum prison sentence open to the court was one of seven years, however Daly was entitled to part of his sentence being suspended as he had pleaded guilty and had taken steps to try to curb his “short temper”, Judge Sheehan said.

The judge imposed a three-year sentence in respect of two of Daly’s victims, and he imposed a consecutive 18-month sentence in respect of the other victim which was fully suspended.

Daly’s crimes came to light on July 2019 when Gardaí were called to a disturbance in which members of the public reported hearing “blood curdling screams” coming from a female child.

Gardaí encountered a chaotic scene coming upon a “considerable amount of blood” and a young girl in an “hysterical” state.

The girl had tried to stop Daly hitting an older woman, and for intervening, Daly punched the girl in the face resulting in her being hospitalised for her injuries.

Daly punched another girl in the face leaving her with significant swelling and bruising to one of her eyes. Daly had previously physically assaulted the girl seven or eight times, it was heard.

The court heard how one of Daly’s victims “escaped” from a property where Daly had assaulted her and had “sought refuge” in a neighbouring property.

Prosecuting counsel, John O’Sullivan, BL, said that Gardaí found a “significant amount of blood-staining in an upstairs bedroom of the house” where Daly assaulted two of his victims.

Witnesses told Gardaí they heard “two girls screaming” from a house.

One witness told Gardaí: “I thought she (girl) was being murdered, they were the most horrible screams I’ve ever heard.”

Another witness said they heard “blood curdling screams” coming from one of the girls.

Daly was apprehended by Gardaí after his three victims eventually told investigators that he had assaulted them.

In a victim impact statement read to the court by Mr O’Sullivan, one of the victim’s described Daly as “evil”.

The three victims said they had been physically and emotionally traumatised by Daly and that they suffered from “nightmares”.

Daly, who initially denied having anything to do with the children’s injuries, wept in court last Friday at his initial sentencing hearing which was adjourned to yesterday (Wednesday).

The court heard Daly has a history of anger issues but that he has since taken steps to remedy this.

Judge Sheehan said it was “significant” that Daly “fully accepts” the evidence of the children and that Daly also accepted that he was responsible for harming the children.

Daly’s barrister, senior counsel Mark Nicholas, said there could be “no minimising” Daly’s behaviour,” and he described Daly’s actions as “unacceptable, absolutely awful”.

Mr O’Sullivan said the three victims were entitled to their anonymity under Section 252 (1) of the Children’s Act, “but they’re of the view that the accused’s name should be published”.

Mr O’Sullivan said there was “no risk” of identifying the three children by identifying Daly, and he told the court, “I believe this is not a case where the accused gets the benefit of anonymity, and the victims feel content with that”.

Daly’s barrister argued there was “nothing further to be gained by naming my client”, however Judge Sheehan said that, while the victims in the case were legally entitled to their anonymity “the accused, as is normal, can be named”.

In summing up the judge made an order that Daly must engage with the probation services for 18 months after he is eventually released from prison.

Daly did not show any emotion as he was led away from the court by prison officers to begin a three-year jail sentence at Limerick Prison.