Retired Westmeath Postal Officer Worker Jailed For 8 Years For Sexual Abuse

He was convicted following a trial last February.

A retired postal worker has been jailed for eight years for the sexual abuse of a girl four decades ago.

Tom Hassett (72), of Auburn Heights, Athlone, Co Westmeath, was convicted following a trial last February of two counts of rape and five counts of indecent assault of the girl on dates between 1981 and 1982.

Hassett has no previous convictions. Hassett, who also worked in a local taxi business, was in his late twenties when he abused the girl, who was aged 12 when the offending began.

The Central Criminal Court heard that while Hassett can be identified, the woman wishes to retain her anonymity.

Hassett was known to the complainant, and she visited his home.

The woman outlined in her victim impact statement how the effects of the abuse have followed her through childhood, adulthood, parenthood, and into the present day.

“What happened to me when I was twelve years old has had lifelong consequences,” she said.

She said the effects of the abuse had shaped her relationships, mental health, confidence and the way she experiences the world. “The impact of these offences has been significant, enduring, and life changing” she said.

“I continue to live with the lasting effects of what began when I was a child and was entirely beyond my control.”

She said she had carried the burden of what happened in silence for many years and described how carrying such a significant secret created a deep sense of loneliness.

She said reporting the abuse required her to revisit traumatic experiences that she had spent decades trying to manage.

“While making the report was the right thing to do, the process was emotionally demanding and brought many long-standing difficulties back to the surface,” she said.

She said the prolonged nature of the court proceedings had caused ongoing anxiety and fear and she had spent the last five years in “survival mode”. She said the disclosure of her private medical and counselling records to the defence during the legal process had been an additional source of distress.

“It felt like a further loss of privacy at a time when I was already recounting deeply traumatic experiences,” she said. In her statement she thanked the judge, the DPP, and the jury. “Thank you for believing me and for delivering justice. Your verdict confirmed that what happened to me was wrong, that it mattered and that I was at last heard. For that I will be forever grateful.”

Passing sentence Mr Justice David Keane commended the woman for her bravery, as well as her dignity during the trial. He wished her well in her continued healing. Mr Justice Keane said there was a high degree of breach of trust involved in this case with the offences committed against a vulnerable victim who was a child.

The judge said these were “repeated, deplorable crimes” against a child by a man who held a position of trust. He said the injured party was deeply traumatised by the events and was still actively struggling. He said the abuse had caused very considerable harm.

Mr Justice Keane set a headline sentence of 12 years for the rapes. He noted no credit was available to Hassett from a guilty plea, that he did not accept the jury verdicts, had shown no remorse and had not embarked on any rehabilitation.

The judge considered in mitigation Hassett’s background including his work history in the post office where he ultimately held the position of branch manager and that he had assisted his wife in the family taxi business.

He noted he is a married man with a family. A report from the prison service indicated he is on an enhanced regime with no disciplinary reports.

The judge took into account Hassett’s health problems and that there were no issues with addiction or mental health.

Hassett has been assessed as at below average risk of reoffending. He noted ill health cannot save a person from a custodial sentence where it is warranted, but ill health and physical disability can be considered in reducing a sentence to take account of additional suffering.

Mr Justice Keane imposed concurrent sentences totalling eight years, noting Hassett’s age, infirmity and otherwise good character. He said he had no grounds to suspend any part of the sentence but ordered two years post release supervision.

Detective Garda Olivia Kelly told Eoin Lawlor SC, prosecuting, the abuse began with Hassett rubbing his erect penis against the young girl, before escalating to forcing her to masturbate him and raping her. The offences cover a one year period.

Gda Kelly said the woman made a statement to gardai in 2021. Hassett was interviewed by gardai and denied the offences. He was charged in 2023. In her victim impact statement read to the court on her behalf, the woman told the court that since 1981 “I have lived with the lasting consequences of the sexual abuse inflicted on me by him.

It has had a profound impact on every aspect of my life. “He damaged my sense of self-worth and fundamentally changed how I viewed myself, other people, and the world around me.”

She described how she had been adversely impacted during her childhood, teenage years and into her adult and parenthood. “The abuse also had a significant impact on my mental wellbeing.

Throughout my life, I have experienced nightmares, sleep paralysis, panic attacks, anxiety, and periods of depression. “These difficulties did not disappear with time. Instead, they became part of how I live my life,” she said.

She said Hassett had never shown genuine remorse for what he did, nor has he adequately acknowledged the lasting harm his actions caused. “His choices shaped the course of my life in ways he will never understand, leading me down paths I would never have taken had it not been for what he did,” she said.

Vincent Heneghan SC, defending, said Hassett maintains his innocence. Counsel said Hassett was a man who had worked hard all his life and had a family.

He said he had been promoted within the Post Office Athlone and has assisted his wife in her family taxi business. He said his wife was present in court. He said Hassett had retired on health grounds.