A well-known Limerick businessman who abused his daughter for over eight years has been given a four year suspended prison sentence, despite an indication from a Circuit Court judge that he would serve a jail term.
Oliver Haskett (61) formerly of Foynes, Kilcornan and Adare, but now with an address in Westbury, Corbally, Co Clare, walked free from court two weeks after he pleaded guilty to 12 counts of indecent assault on his daughter, Sheila Ryan, between January 1988 and December 31, 1990 and to a further 20 counts of sexual assault between January 1991 and December 1995.
At the last week’s sentencing hearing, Judge Carroll Moran heard that Ms Ryan had written a letter saying that she was shocked when her father was taken into custody and asked that he would not be jailed for his crimes against her.
Despite Judge Moran stating that Haskett would serve a prison sentence and adjourning the case to consider an appropriate sentence, Oliver Haskett served just two weeks in prison before the court took into account the letter written by his 36-year-old daughter.
Judge Moran commended Sheila Ryan, for her “Christian charity and forgiveness” after she wrote a letter asking the court not to imprison her father who had admitted and apologised for the years of abuse.
During her darkest days, the mother-of-two contemplated suicide after the repeated sexual abused by her controlling father. Haskett abused her in empty bedrooms of their guesthouse in Adare having moved from their previous home in Kilcornan.
The victim, who waived her right to anonymity, told gardai that the abuse started when she was five when she was beaten over the mispronunciation of words and after being beaten, was brought to a bedroom where inappropriate behaviour took place.
Other evidence included details of Haskett taking photographs of his daughter when she was naked.
Details of a “bold list” was kept by Ms Ryan’s mother and this was then given to Haskett in the evening for him to administer punishment.
In her victim impact statement, Sheila Ryan said she was suicidal and abused alcohol because she wanted to black out..
In his judgement, Judge Moran said it was not only a case of severe breach of trust, but worse by abusing his own daughter.
“I would have imagined that it was a paternal instinct to protect and not to abuse,” he added.
According to defence counsel Pat Barriscale, Haskett, who had remarried and was a father-of-four, has done all he could do to remedy his wrong doing.
Judge Moran alluded to Haskett’s effort to “ameliorate the circumstances” and that €160,000 in compensation had been paid over to Ms Ryan.
The Granada Institute deemed Haskett to be in the low range of risk to reoffend.
Imposing a four year prison sentence but suspending it for a period of four years, Judge Moran said Haskett should commend his daughter for her Christian charity and forgiveness”.
Oliver Haskett’s name was placed on the Register of Sex Offenders for a period of five years and he was released from custody after he took a bond to be of good behaviour for the period of suspended sentence.
