2015-11-20 · Westmeath
Judge Desmond Hogan retires after 15 years on the Bench
The appeal of a case involving an unnamed man, who was initially sentenced to six months in prison and ordered to pay €75,000 in compensation by Judge Desmond Hogan, has been addressed by the Court of Criminal Appeal. The Director of Public Prosecutions appealed the sentence, arguing it was unduly lenient. In July 2014, the Court of Criminal Appeal found the original sentence by Judge Hogan to be unduly lenient and imposed an additional 18 months. The matter was adjourned and never described as concluded or finalised. Judge Desmond Hogan, who is from Athlone, retired today after 15 years on the bench, most of it spent sitting in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. His retirement comes after a career that included handling high-profile cases, such as that of Anthony Lyons, a sex offender who assaulted a young woman in Dublin. Judge Hogan's tenure was marked by his characteristic good humour and commitment to the justice system, which he described as 'manifestly fair'.