Wicklow man branded a 'monster' sentenced to three years for indecent assault of young girl

Seán McCárthaigh

A Wicklow man branded a “monster” with “depraved perversions” has been jailed for three years for an indecent assault of a young girl in Bray, Co Wicklow, over 30 years ago.

Ambrose Doyle (57), formerly of Ashleigh, Ballinalea, Ashford, Co Wicklow, and now living in the west of Ireland, was found guilty of indecent assault on the girl in a house in Bray on a date unknown between February 1990 and February 1992 when his victim was aged between five and seven.

Doyle, a married father, was found guilty of the charge at a retrial at Wicklow Circuit Criminal Court in March 2025.

At the original trial, he had been found not guilty of two other charges of indecent assault.

At a sentencing hearing on Tuesday, the court heard that Doyle is also currently serving an 18-month prison sentence after being convicted of the sexual assault of a teenage girl in April 2014.

Detective Garda Neil Doyle told the court that the victim of the indecent assault first reported the matter to gardaí in 2019.

He said the girl was coming out of an upstairs bathroom in the house when she was confronted by Doyle who said: “Come here and I’ll show you.”

The girl told gardaí that she next remembered being on the ground with her pants down and the accused fiddling with her private parts and rubbing his hand on her vagina.

Det Garda Doyle said the incident took place while there were other people downstairs in the house.

The court heard that Doyle denied indecently assaulting the girl after he was arrested by gardaí.

In a victim impact statement, the woman said the damage done by Doyle was incredibly difficult to convey.

“My whole world changed in an instant,” she recalled.

The woman said she had no real understanding of what was happening to her “other than the feeling of pure terror.”

She felt shame about the incident and claimed trying to recover from childhood sexual abuse was “a lifetime’s work.”

The court heard that there were times when she could not leave home because of “a crushing fear.”

“Childhood is such a short time but the ripples last forever,” she added.

The woman said Doyle’s insidious abuse has impacted on every relationship she ever had, including with herself.

She claimed the anger and great sadness that she felt about all that she had lost were sometimes all-consuming.

The court heard she had undergone years of counselling while staying silent about “the root cause” of her trauma and shame.

The woman said coming forward about what Doyle had done was extremely difficult, and having her counselling notes being used at a trial to prove she was not a liar was “so invasive.”

She said words failed her over how her character was assassinated by Doyle’s defence making her open up about her life.

“I had no defence when I was a little girl,” she observed.

The woman said she had been used by Doyle for his “depraved perversions.”

While Doyle had portrayed himself as an active member of society, she remarked: “Behind closed doors he was a monster.”

She claimed no child or vulnerable person should be left with him “for a moment.”

The woman said she was happy for Doyle to be named so that the public could learn how dangerous he is.

In reply to a question from Judge Patrick Quinn, defence counsel, Colman FitzGerald SC, said Doyle now accepted the jury’s verdict.

The barrister told the court that Doyle had a good employment record and had done a lot of charity work for food kitchens and fundraising for children’s charities.

Mr FitzGerald said the defendant continues to suffer from a back injury that he has had for over 30 years, while his wife is also in poor health.

Judge Quinn said he had noted the woman’s concise and poignant victim impact statement which outlined how Doyle’s offending had caused her “a life of anxiety.”

The judge also observed that Doyle had made his victim go through a trial rather than admit the truth.

He claimed the indecent assault was on “the higher end of the scale” which had “profound and long-lasting sentences.”

Sentencing Doyle to three and a half years in prison, Judge Quinn suspended the final six months on condition that he keeps the peace on his release.

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.