'Wolf in sheep's clothing' jailed for 13 years for abuse of three sisters

by Niamh O’Donoghue and Isabel Hayes

A butcher who exploited and sexually abused three of his partner’s younger sisters over a 10-year period has been jailed for 13 years.

Christopher Fitzsimons (40), described in court as “a wolf in sheep's clothing”, was convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury last July of all 22 counts against him relating to the three complainants, including 18 counts of raping one of the girls over a 13-month period.

Fitzsimons, of Thornbury Drive, Athlone, Co Westmeath, has no previous convictions. All three sisters waived their anonymity in order for Fitzsimons to be named.

The court heard Fitzsimons was in a relationship with the complainants' older sister, with whom he had a number of children.

The abuse of the three girls occurred in various locations in Westmeath on dates between 2001 and 2011. They were aged between 12 and 16 at the time of the abuse.

Sentencing Fitzsimons today, Monday, Ms Justice Eileen Creedon said Fitzsimons' relationship with the complainants' older sister “allowed him to exploit these three young girls”. It was “an egregious abuse of trust”, she said. Fitzsimons started abusing the girls after the death of the girls' father in 1999, the court heard.

Ms Justice Creedon set a headline sentence of 14 years and reduced this to 13 years, noting there was little to be said in mitigation for Fitzsimons except his young age, lack of previous convictions and good work history as a butcher.

At an earlier sentence hearing, Sergeant Niall Smith told the court the family lived in Athlone and their older sister was in a long-term relationship with Fitzsimons and had children with him. The sisters spent time in Fitzsimons' house with their older sister, helping to mind the children.

Fitzsimons was found guilty of two counts of sexual assault and one count of rape of the first complainant, Tara Berry, who was aged 12 at the time. The court heard she was staying in her sister’s house, when Fitzsimons gave her cannabis and sexually assaulted her. He was intoxicated, exposed himself and was masturbating, the court heard.

He further raped her in 2006 when he came up behind her and penetrated her, the court heard. She was aged around 16 at the time.

The court heard the second complainant, Chloe Berry, was babysitting her sister’s children at around the age of 14 when she observed Fitzsimons masturbating on the couch with his pants open.

She said she felt uncomfortable and described going to sleep fully clothed, but Fitzsimons touched her vagina over her jeans. He was found guilty of one count of sexual assault in relation to this incident.

Fitzsimons was further found guilty of 18 counts of raping the youngest sister, Claire Berry, over a 13-month period between 2010 and 2011. She was aged between 15 and 16 at the time. One of the counts was a section 4 rape, involving the use of a vibrator, the court heard.

In her victim impact statement, Claire Berry said Fitzsimons was “calculated” and “a wolf in sheep’s clothing”.

She said when her father died in 1999, Fitzsimons chose to abuse her 12-year-old sister Tara. In 2010, he then started abusing her. She said she still struggles to fall asleep, has flashbacks and nightmares.

She said she was five years waiting for the trial and Fitzsimons “denied everything” and “never showed any remorse for what he has done”.

“You are a rapist, you are a paedophile and guilty of all 22 counts you are charged with,” she said.

In her victim impact statement, Tara Berry said that at the time of the abuse, she was grieving the death of her father, who was no longer there to protect her from Fitzsimons.

She said she started using drugs at the age of 14 before getting sober, and that years later, she is still picking up the pieces. She asked the court to “recognise the full weight of what has been done to me”.

Reading her victim impact statement, Chloe Berry, who is now 34, said it is almost 20 years ago since she was sexually assaulted while babysitting at the age 14. “It is something I have carried with me every day for the last 20 years,” she said.

“I ask the court when considering a sentence in this case, (to also consider) the sentence Christopher has given to me with no remorse,” she said.

In mitigation Timothy O’Leary SC defending told the court his client previously worked in a butchers. He has been in custody in the Midland Prison since the verdict of the jury last July.

Antonia Boyle BL, prosecuting, asked the judge to consider handing down consecutive sentences for the rapes of the two separate complainants.