RAYMOND BRADY, THE PREDATOR FROM CO MEATH, SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL ABUSE IN TRIM

In a case that has shocked the community of Co Meath, Raymond Brady, a 77-year-old priest from Baltrasna, Oldcastle, was sentenced to two years in prison at Trim Circuit Criminal Court for a series of heinous sexual offenses committed against young boys. The court heard that Brady’s actions were predatory in nature, with Judge Michael O’Shea describing his conduct as that of a predator.

Brady had admitted to indecently assaulting ten boys, some of whom were brothers, at various locations including the parochial houses in Drumconrath and Kilbeg. He also confessed to attempting to indecently assault another boy. The assaults took place in different settings, such as a caravan in Bettystown and inside the priest’s car while transporting boys to and from funeral Masses. The majority of the victims were altar boys, with ages ranging from 11 to 17 years old.

The court was informed that some of the abuse occurred in the sitting room of a family home, where the victims sat on Brady’s knee while their mother was in the kitchen preparing tea. One victim recounted waking up in his bedroom to find the priest standing there, having let himself into the house, fully aware that the boy was alone, and then sexually assaulting him. Another victim described how Brady entered his bedroom uninvited and assaulted him while he was alone.

Two of the now middle-aged men who had been victims read impact statements to the court. One expressed his ongoing struggle, stating that he still attends Mass but finds it maddening that the church asks parishioners to pray for it, yet no one is asked to pray for the victims. He also revealed that he had met Bishop of Meath Michael Smith several times but had never spoken about his abuse. “I want everybody to know what Fr Brady has done,” he declared.

The investigation into the abuse was initiated after one of the victims confided in a priest in Co Louth, who immediately contacted the Gardaí. Detective Garda Bryan Moroney of Kells led the inquiry. During interviews, Brady admitted that his assaults were motivated by sexual gratification. He also provided evidence in court, offering an apology to anyone he had hurt or harmed.

It was revealed that Brady ceased his abusive behavior in the 1970s following an encounter with a teenage girl who was also a victim of abuse. This experience reportedly opened his eyes to the impact of sexual abuse on children. Brady’s legal team, led by senior counsel Padraig Dwyer, stated that he had been suspended from church activities for a significant period and would be laicised after the court proceedings.

Judge O’Shea, in delivering his sentence, described Brady’s actions as “humiliating, horrific and disgusting,” emphasizing that he acted as a predator. The judge noted that the abuse robbed the victims of their childhood and innocence, describing the acts as deeply damaging. Taking into account Brady’s guilty pleas, the court imposed the maximum sentence of two years’ imprisonment on each of the eleven charges, with all sentences to run concurrently.