Man who raped two sisters jailed for over 12 years

By Sonya McLean

A man who raped and sexually abused two sisters who were living in his neighbourhood has been jailed for 12 and a half years.

David Mason (49) of Graigue Court, Ballymun, Dublin 11, had denied the charges but was convicted following a trial in the Central Criminal Court last March.

He had pleaded not guilty to 23 counts of sexual assault and five counts of rape against the first sister and three charges of sexual assault against her younger sister.

Both women have indicated that while they want Mason to be named in reporting the case, they do not wish to be named themselves.

Detective Garda Brian Morrissey told Carl Hanahoe SC, prosecuting, that the older sister was seven years old when Mason, who was then 19-years-old, first began to sexually abuse her. She later described it as an escalating pattern of abuse that continued for two years and led to five incidences of rape.

The court heard that there was an “open-door relationship” between the two families, and Mason often minded the two girls.

The older sister said the first incident of abuse involved him touching her breast over her clothing while she was playing. She said afterwards Mason walked away without saying anything.

She said on another occasion he met her as she was coming out of the bathroom and took her by the hand into his brother’s bedroom before he lay her down on the bed and sexually assaulted her.

The woman later told gardaí that this abuse continued, on a weekly, sometimes bi-weekly basis on most occasions when the child visited Mason’s home.

The abuse ended for a short time over the summer when the child was more likely to be playing outside rather than being in Mason’s family home.

She recalled the first incident of rape being around the time of her communion. She said she told Mason to stop because he was hurting her, but he continued nonetheless.

The woman didn’t tell anyone about the abuse until her younger sister made a complaint to gardaí in September 2020. At that time, her mother approached her, and she disclosed that Mason had also abused her.

The younger sister, who is 16 years younger than Mason, told gardaí that he first sexually assaulted her when she was around three years old.

She recalled Mason placing her hand on the top of his tracksuit bottoms over his penis, and when she tried to move her hand away, he placed it back.

She said on another occasion she was in the bathroom, facing the window, when Mason came into the room. She could feel his penis against her back. She recalled another incident when he forced her to touch his penis outside his clothing.

The woman said that she made a complaint to gardaí in September 2020. She had disclosed the abuse to two friends in secondary school and later told her mother about the abuse. At that stage, she had been suffering with her mental health for some time.

Mason was interviewed in November 2021. He confirmed they had known each other and lived in the same neighbourhood but he denied all the allegations.

Mason was charged in 2022 and it was during the progress of these proceedings that the older sister made allegations of sexual assault and rape.

Mason was interviewed again in November 2024 and denied these allegations also.

The older sister read her victim impact statement into the record. She said she has “a deep sense of shame and disgust that I have never been able to fully escape”

She said the abuse has impacted her self-worth, and she struggles significantly with trusting people in general, questioning their intentions.

The woman said she feels guilty for not being able to protect her baby sister before she added: “I was a child - I did not have the ability to protect myself."

She described experiencing panic attacks and nightmares, and said no child should have to carry memories like this.

She said she struggles to understand what happened to her and “healing is not quick”.

“He destroyed my sense of security. I was a little child who trusted him, and I believed I was safe – you knew my age, you knew my vulnerability,” the woman continued.

She said the abuse has “shaped how I lived my life – simple acts that most people take for granted are not simple for me”.

She said that her body still reacts to the abuse “even all these years later”.

“You changed how I experienced everything for 30 years of my life, but despite everything, you did not end my story,” the woman said

She said she made a constant choice to break the cycle – “It took years, it took strength."

“Today I stand here as grown (me) after fighting for so long for little (me) – I am who I choose to be. I am brave and strong,” she said.

She described Mason as “a pathetic excuse of a man” and said she was holding him “accountable for the choices he made and the harm he caused”.

The woman concluded her statement by expressing her deepest gratitude to the judge for his “wisdom, patience and guiding her through these proceedings”.

She thanked the legal teams for their “diligence, professionalism and commitment” and the detective for his dedication, perseverance and hard work. She also thanked her family and friends for their “constant support”.

The second sister said her life has been overshadowed and the emotional impact from the abuse has never gone away. She said she viewed “suicide as a way to escape”.

She said she struggles to remember large parts of her childhood and believes this is linked to the trauma.

“He made me feel disgusting, worthless and uncomfortable in my own skin,” she said. She said she struggles in crowded places with people standing right behind her.

She described the abuse as “a dark stain on my life". "While the edges may have faded, it continues to impact me deeply,” the woman said, before she added that she continues to live with “the impacts of what you have done”.

Eoghan Cole SC, defending, said his client was a father of two. He has a record of employment and is on medication for diabetes. He maintains his innocence.

Judge Kerida Naidoo said consecutive terms were necessary as there were two victims. He imposed consecutive sentences totalling 13 years and six months. He suspended the final 12 months of that term on strict conditions, including that he engage with the Probation Service for two years.

Judge Naidoo said, having considered the victim impact statement it was “very clear that the offending behaviour had serious and enduring impacts on both victims”.

He said the older sister carried a deep sense of shame and disgust that she said she has never been fully able to escape. He further noted that she indicated that “healing is not simple or quick” and that it is something she has to work on every day.

He accepted the victim impact statement from the younger sister that her life has been dominated by the abuse, and she has had suicidal thoughts.

He said that because Mason does not accept his guilt, he has lost the main mitigating feature in such cases. He accepted that he has no previous conviction, has a consistent history of employment and has been described as a good father.

It was further acknowledged that Mason was “a young adult at the time of his offending”.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/ or visit Rape Crisis Help. In the case of an emergency, always dial 999/112.