A judge has remanded in custody a Lisdoonvarna retailer pending sentence for the sexual abuse of a primary school-boy in the 1980s.
At Ennis Circuit Court, Judge Francis Comerford has ordered that Noel Jordan (59) of Jordan’s Mace, Main Street, Lisdoonvarna be remanded in custody arising from the ‘sustained’ indecent assaults on Seán Collins on dates over a six year period between February 1980 to February 1986.
Mr Collins aged seven at the start of the offending in February 1980 and Mr Jordan was aged 14 and the abuse continued until February 1986 when Mr Collins was about to turn 13 and Mr Jordan was 19.
The two lived on the same street in the north Clare town of Lisdoonvarna and Mr Jordan pleaded guilty on a full facts basis to six separate charges of indecent assaults on Mr Collins at various locations including Lisdoonvarna National School, in the garden of the Collins home, at the rear of Jordan’s Mace, at The Community Centre otherwise known as The Pavilion, at Jordan’s Mace Store and at Ardeamish, Lisdoonvarna.
Judge Comerford said that ‘great harm’ was done by Mr Jordan to Mr Collins and the offending “was sustained over a number of years and involved threats”.
Judge Comerford said that Mr Jordan – now a registered sex offender – was significantly older than Seán Collins “and had power and authority that came from someone who was older”.
Judge Comerford said that Mr Jordan’s guilty pleas “are accepting that there will be a punishment and no matter what weight is given to various factors this is a sentence that will have to be an immediate custodial sentence”.
In his victim impact statement, Mr Collins said: “I have beaten the devil. I couldn’t care less about Noel Jordan, now it is his time to cry.”
He said: “I do not identify as a victim, I identify as a survivor. I do not wish to elicit sympathy or pity from anyone, I assume the justice system is fully aware of the impact of being sexually abused as a child has on a person’s life.
He said: “46 years it has taken me to get to this stage and I feel a sense of achievement that I succeeded in bringing what happened in the darkness out into the light.”
Mr Collins said: “I picture this as being the day I walk up to the terrified seven year version of myself who has been crying out to be noticed and heard.”
“I am going to put my arms around him and tell him ‘you don’t need to be afraid or carry the pain anymore’. ‘I’ve got you from now on in, I’m going to protect you’.”
Mr Collins recalled as a young child he found the courage to tell his late mother about Mr Jordan’s abuse “and she dismissed me, the subject was never mentioned again in our house”.
In evidence, the investigating Garda, Det Garda Niamh O’Malley told the court that after one indecent assault carried out by Mr Jordan on Seán Collins “he had a distinct memory of feeling like a dirty dog”.
Det Garda O’Malley said that at the time of the offending, Noel Jordan told Seán Collins that he better not tell anyone or his parents would die.
Det Garda O’Malley said that Seán Collins told her that when he told his mother of the abuse at the time she responded ‘No, that never happened’ and she said if it did happen ‘it was Seán who instigated it’.
Det O’Malley said that Mr Collins was ‘devastated’ when he wasn’t believed by his mother.
Det O’Malley said that Mr Collins was unable to attend the sentencing hearing as he could not physically be able to sit in the same room as Mr Jordan.
In the witness box, Mr Jordan apologised to Seán Collins.
He said: “I would like to apologise to Seán for all the harm and hurt I have caused him.
He said: “I sincerely regret it all. My faith is keeping me going. This weighed heavily on me all my life.
He said: “I wish I could turn back the clock but I can’t.”
Asked by his counsel, Colm Smyth SC about coming to terms with his sexuality, Mr Jordan said: “I am gay and I could not accept it and I was living in denial all my life.”
Mr Jordan said that he only came out as a gay man to his mother – who turns 90 next month – a few weeks ago and to his sisters three or four years ago.
Mr Jordan said that he assisted charities at community events like Strictly Come Dancing and has dressed up as Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and a Heart.
Asked by Mr Smyth did he realise the harm he was causing to Seán Collins, Mr Jordan said: “I didn’t know what was happening…I did not know what sex was – I did not know intercourse was.”
Accountant to the Jordan family for the past 40 years, Jim Halpin gave character evidence to say that “I have always found Noel Jordan to be honest and totally tax compliant”.
Mr Halpin confirmed that he was aware of the nature of the charges before the court.
Sister of Noel Jordan, Deirdre Jordan told the court that “Noel is a very caring person and does everything for everyone else”.
She said: “We know Noel did wrong but I mean he was young at the time. It doesn’t excuse it but it is a fact of it.”
“The times we were growing up then were totally different.
She said: “Sex education was never taught to us – unlike the kids today who know too much – we never knew anything about sex or anything like that.”
Ms Jordan said: “Noel revealing that he was gay was totally left field – there were no signs of anything like that when we were growing up.
“I would say Noel didn’t really know what he was doing. It is a factor that he was very young.”
She said: “If I met Seán (Collins) here today we would apologise to Seán for what happened. We didn’t know anything about it at the time.”
“We all played together in the back yard. None of us knew anything was happening.
“If Sean was here today I would say ‘Sean sorry for what happened to you’ and all my family would say that to him.”
Mr Smyth said that Mr Jordan has offered the sum of €20,000 to Mr Collins as a token of his remorse and counsel for the State, Sarah Jane Comerford BL (instructed by State Solicitor for Clare, Aisling Casey) said that Mr Collins does not wish to accept the €20,000.
Mr Smyth said that Mr Jordan had entered an early guilty plea and apart from the offending before the court has led a blameless life.
Ms Comerford said that Mr Collins is happy to be named and wishes to be named in any reporting of the case.
Judge Comerford remanded Mr Jordan in custody for sentencing later this month.
