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Donohoe helped with the SES search for William but was arrested four days later and charged with the unrelated sexual assault of two cognitively impaired young men between the late 2000s and 2014.
He was convicted of five charges, being three of aggravated sexual assault and two of sexual assault — take advantage of impairment.
Donohoe was jailed for five-and-a-half years with a non-parole period of three years.
He appeared today at the NSW Coroner’s Court in Lidcombe at the inquest into William’s suspected disappearance and death.
“I’d just like to point out that I have a cognitive impairment so could you take it very slow,” Donohoe told counsel assisting the coroner, Gerard Craddock SC.
Deputy state coroner Harriet Grahame said: “If you have any difficulty understanding something, you speak directly to me.”
The balding man was wearing a light pink short-sleeved shirt, black tie, grey pants and a dark belt.
He told Mr Craddock he remembered heading to Benaroon Drive — the street where William was last seen — to help with the search in the late afternoon of September 12, 2014.
“I’ve been bashed in jail and everything so my memory is not 100 per cent,” Donohoe said.
He said he was briefed in the car on the way to the suburban street but couldn’t remember a second briefing at about 4pm upon arrival with his search group, called Taree 56.
“The place was like a football match, the amount of people that were there,” Donohoe said.
He said they “went down to the river” to search for the boy and he finished his shift after midnight.
“I had to go to work the next day … and I was exhausted,” he said.
William Tyrrell: Sex offender gives evidence at missing boy’s inquest
He was convicted of five charges, being three of aggravated sexual assault and two of sexual assault — take advantage of impairment.
Donohoe was jailed for five-and-a-half years with a non-parole period of three years.
He appeared today at the NSW Coroner’s Court in Lidcombe at the inquest into William’s suspected disappearance and death.
“I’d just like to point out that I have a cognitive impairment so could you take it very slow,” Donohoe told counsel assisting the coroner, Gerard Craddock SC.
Deputy state coroner Harriet Grahame said: “If you have any difficulty understanding something, you speak directly to me.”
The balding man was wearing a light pink short-sleeved shirt, black tie, grey pants and a dark belt.
He told Mr Craddock he remembered heading to Benaroon Drive — the street where William was last seen — to help with the search in the late afternoon of September 12, 2014.
“I’ve been bashed in jail and everything so my memory is not 100 per cent,” Donohoe said.
He said he was briefed in the car on the way to the suburban street but couldn’t remember a second briefing at about 4pm upon arrival with his search group, called Taree 56.
“The place was like a football match, the amount of people that were there,” Donohoe said.
He said they “went down to the river” to search for the boy and he finished his shift after midnight.
“I had to go to work the next day … and I was exhausted,” he said.
William Tyrrell: Sex offender gives evidence at missing boy’s inquest
