Pensioner admits 12 assaults on boy
Patrick Bassett with an address at The Farmhouse, Sarsfield Court, Glanmire, Co Cork, came before Cork Circuit Criminal Court yesterday on a signed plea of guilty to 12 counts of indecent assault.
Bassett was asked by registrar, Richard O’Connor, if he wanted to change his signed plea of guilty to the charges. The accused replied that he did not want to change his plea.
Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin asked if the case was ready to proceed to sentencing.
Prosecution barrister, Imelda Kelly, said the victim was not available to come to court yesterday and that time was also required for the preparation of a victim impact statement from him.
Judge Ó Donnabháin referred to the fact the accused was serving a sentence for a similar offence. That sentence will be completed by April 2017. The judge said he would adjourn sentencing of the accused until February 7, 2017. He said that adjournment would not adversely affect the defendant.
John Devlin, defence barrister, said there are medical matters that he would want to put before the court at the sentencing hearing, including the fact that the accused had a bad back.
Judge Ó Donnabháin said: “I know all about the man’s medical condition.”
Sgt Annamarie Guiney arrested Bassett in respect of yesterday’s charges earlier this year at the courthouse on Washington St, Cork, and charged him with the historical sex crimes.
He was charged with 12 indecent assaults committed between 1968 and 1970 when the complainant was aged between 10 and 12.
No facts in relation to the abuse have yet been given in court. It is anticipated that a full outline of the facts of the case will be presented to the sentencing judge at Cork Circuit Criminal Court on the date fixed yesterday for sentencing — February 7, 2017.
