ALAN FEEHILY FROM CASTLEBAR SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL ABUSE OF SCHOOLGIRL IN GALWAY

In May 2018, Galway Circuit Criminal Court handed down a severe sentence to Alan Feehily, a 27-year-old man residing in Milebush, Castlebar, Co Mayo, for his heinous crimes involving the sexual abuse of a young schoolgirl. The court sentenced Feehily to four years in prison, with the final year suspended, reflecting the gravity of his actions and the evidence presented during the trial.

Feehily had previously pleaded guilty to four sample charges of defilement of a child under 15 years of age, committed at various locations across Galway between January 1, 2013, and October 12, 2014. The charges stemmed from a disturbing pattern of abuse that spanned over two years, during which Feehily used threats of violence and blackmail to coerce the 14-year-old girl into performing sexual acts against her will.

The victim, who was only 14 at the time, described her ordeal as a period marked by feelings of degradation and shame. In her victim impact statement, she recounted her experience as a blur, emphasizing the profound psychological toll it took on her. She described Feehily as “pure evil,” highlighting the malicious nature of his conduct. Her account detailed how the abuse only ceased after she confided in her aunt, prompting the authorities to become involved.

Following her disclosure, police arrested Feehily, seizing his phone, which contained sexually explicit photos and videos of the victim. During police interviews, Feehily maintained that all sexual encounters were consensual, denying her claims that she had consented out of fear and under threat. Despite his denials, the evidence against him was compelling, illustrating a pattern of grooming, manipulation, and intimidation.

Judge Rory McCabe, presiding over the case, emphasized the seriousness of Feehily’s conduct, noting that it involved escalating levels of manipulation, threats, and aggression. The judge described Feehily’s behavior as demonstrating “a dangerous propensity to aggression and manipulation to a very high degree.” As part of his sentence, Feehily was ordered to register as a sex offender for the next eight years. The court also mandated that he not reside in the same dwelling as any child under 18 or have unsupervised contact with minors during his period of supervision after release.

Earlier in February 2018, the case had already garnered attention when Feehily was described as a ‘pure evil’ individual with a disturbing fetish for young girls in school uniforms. The victim, who was subjected to threats and blackmail, recounted how Feehily used her “like a puppet” to perform degrading sexual acts. The court heard that Feehily, an agricultural contractor, had become acquainted with the girl when she was 14 through a mutual acquaintance. His disapproval of her relationship with a 15-year-old boy led him to threaten her, demanding she kiss him to keep his silence about her relationship.

Despite her initial refusal, Feehily’s threats persisted, and he eventually coerced her into kissing him. The threats intensified, and he blackmailed her by threatening to tell her parents about the kiss. He then began to escort her to school in his car, waiting after school to take her home, and driving her to various locations where he continued to abuse her sexually, often while she was dressed in her school uniform. The abuse escalated to the point where Feehily demanded full sexual intercourse after collecting her from school, establishing strict rules she was forced to obey, including daily check-ins, responding to his texts within ten minutes, and sending explicit images and videos of herself.

The victim’s ordeal culminated at an 18th birthday party where she was unable to contact Feehily due to lack of phone coverage. When Feehily picked her up from the party and became aggressive for not answering his calls or texts, she confided in a friend, leading to police involvement. In her emotional victim impact statement, she described her life being turned upside down, with her school performance suffering and her mental health deteriorating. She expressed her feelings of shame, degradation, and fear, but also her resilience, stating that she would no longer be afraid of telling her story.

Judge McCabe reiterated that the evidence clearly demonstrated Feehily’s grooming behavior, which had escalated into manipulation, domination, threats, and violence. The judge condemned Feehily’s pattern of gross abuse, rejecting his claims of consensual acts. He highlighted the significant psychological damage inflicted on the victim, who was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a direct result of her prolonged trauma. Considering the maximum sentence for defilement of a child is five years, the judge deemed four years appropriate for each of the charges, with the finalization of the sentence scheduled for May 10. Feehily was remanded in custody until that date, and a full risk assessment was ordered to be completed by a probation officer in the interim.