Galway woman ‘takes off mask’ and exposes paedophile who sexually abused her in her sleep when she was 11

This is the brave Galway woman who waived her right to anonymity to ‘take off the mask’ and expose Noel Doherty, who molested and sexually abused her while she slept in her own home when she was just 11 years old.

Noel Doherty, 39, a former dog trainer from Ballinasloe, was sentenced to three and a half years in prison, two of which were suspended, meaning he only has to serve an 18-month sentence for his crime.

But speaking exclusively to Galway Beo, Sinéad Broderick has decided to get her life back on track after two decades of torment and reveal to the world the former long-time family friend who did this to her.

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The disgusting Doherty was once so close to the family that he was even supposed to be best man at Sinead’s brother’s wedding.

Worse still, he even tried to blame an innocent friend for the heinous crime he committed, going so far as to mention his name in court after initially stating that Sinead had “dreamed” it happened.

The convicted paedo continued to lie and protest his innocence until the second day of his trial, when his victim was forced into the witness box to be cross-examined before finally admitting to his gruesome crime.

Sinéad, now 33, received justice after 22 years; her attacker heard her words in court as she described the “lifelong trauma” she suffered as a result of the “casual” sexual assault.

Sinéad Broderick told Galway Beo she was “glad” that Noel Doherty, once her own brother’s best friend, was locked up. She felt “vindicated” that she had the chance to tell her story and stand trial. She told the court she was exposing Doherty after decades of him “pretending” to be someone he was not. Doherty was called a “liar”, a “coward” and a “sexual predator” in the victim’s statement.

The court heard how Noel Doherty entered the room of sleeping 11-year-old Sinéad in 2002 and lay down to commit the sexual assault.

A crime that was only uncovered when Noel Doherty was supposed to be best man at Sinéad’s brother’s wedding in 2019.

In her victim impact statement, Sinéad described how she was afraid to tell her family the truth about Doherty. But before the wedding, where she would be a bridesmaid, she could no longer “pretend” because she would be giving Doherty’s speech as best man.

Sinéad told Galway Beo that it had taken four long years from the time she revealed Doherty’s crimes to her family and the Gardai to the time she faced him in court and saw justice done.

Brave Sinéad described her “pride” that she was able to “take off Doherty’s mask” and expose his lies and “cowardice” in court. She also told Galway Beo that she “understands that many women don’t get justice, that they don’t see the person who made them suffer getting what they deserve, but I’m very happy that Noel Doherty has gone to prison.”

Sinéad tells Galway Beo that Doherty’s defence was particularly “subservient”. He had claimed the attacks never happened – it was “a dream”. Doherty then claimed the heinous crime was committed by another, completely innocent man, a “lifelong friend” of Doherty’s, even saying the innocent man’s name out loud in court before the deceitful Doherty finally admitted to sexually abusing the child.

Noel Doherty’s crime left Sinéad with depression, anxiety and PTSD and had a negative impact on her life. In her victim impact statement, she described how she was no longer able to concentrate at school “due to the mental stress and pain he had caused her”.

The powerful victim impact statement, addressed directly to Doherty, described how he had been faced with a decision: “In 2002, you had a choice. You saw an 11-year-old child sleeping in the safety of his own home. You saw an opportunity and you took it. You could have kept your perverted thoughts in your head and left the room – but you didn’t. Instead, you closed the door, lay down and chose to sexually abuse a child. You chose to sexually abuse me. Your actions that night ended my childhood and left me with a lifelong trauma that still affects me today.”

The statement described how Noel Doherty’s decision changed her behaviour and how her education suffered: “My behaviour changed drastically. I was angry, embarrassed and ashamed. I felt what you should have felt. I could not concentrate on school work because of the mental stress and pain you had caused me. I did not take the traditional A-levels, I did not go to university. My education suffered – because of you.”

“I have struggled with depression, anxiety and PTSD my entire adult life. I take medication daily and will most likely need medication to remain mentally healthy for the rest of my life. I have tried to work, I have tried to study but my mental health has been too fragile. I have been on disability benefits for nearly 10 years. I cannot work full time – because of you (Noel Doherty).”

Sinéad’s testimony described how she had struggled with her gynaecological health throughout her life and how routine examinations “led to flashbacks of abuse, severe anxiety and panic attacks”. The court heard: “At 33, a nurse holds my hand while I go for smears – because of you (Noel Doherty).”

In her victim impact statement, Sinéad described his inability to admit guilt and his attempts to defend himself as “insulting and disgusting”.

“I was too scared to tell my family. I thought I was protecting them from the pain of the truth, but the only person I was protecting this whole time was you. You agreed to be best man at my brother’s wedding. You wanted to stand up and give a speech as best man after what you did to his little sister, after what you did to me. You could keep pretending – I couldn’t. In 2019, you had a choice. You had the opportunity to do the right thing, to tell the truth – but you didn’t. Instead, you chose to lie, and you continued to lie until the second day of the trial.

“Your inability to accept your guilt meant that my pain lasted longer. It meant that I had to give evidence and be cross-examined. I found your defense both insulting and repulsive. I think it reflected your character perfectly. In an attempt to save your own skin, you tried to shift the blame onto an innocent man. You were willing to imply that one of your lifelong friends was guilty of a crime you committed. That’s you, Noel.”

The statement ended with survivor Sinéad describing how the sexual assault changed her life: “The fourth section of the victim impact statement asks me to outline all the changes in my life as a result of this crime. How can I begin to measure that? You robbed me of a potential life. I will never truly know how much you took from me. But I know what I took from you.”

“Your lies have been exposed because I removed the mask you hid behind for years. You can be seen for what you really are. You are a child molester. The life you had before is now over and I am incredibly proud to be the one who was able to take it away from you.”

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