Court reports mentioning Peter Clarke

2015-07-20

70-year-old man jailed for inviting two 12-year-olds to take part in sexual act loses appeal against conviction

Stage: Appeal

Plea: Not guilty

Finding: Found guilty

Outcome: Found guilty; He was found guilty by a jury and sentenced to five years imprisonment with the final three suspended by Judge Rory McCabe on March 24 2014. Clarke's barrister, Roderick O'Hanlon SC, further submitted that the trial judge: erred in holding that his arrest and detention was lawful; erred in allowing the girls' school Principal to give evidence as to their demeanour when they returned to school; erred in his instructions to the jury; erred in allowing the prosecution to adduce evidence from interview memos made when he did not have access to his solicitor and that the trial judge erred in telling the jury that 'while it was wrong to convict an innocent man it was equally bad to acquit a guilty man'.

2014-12-13

Pensioner who sexually assaulted two young girls fails in sentence appeal

Stage: Appeal

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: Moving an application to review Clarke's sentence in the Court of Appeal yesterday, his barrister Paul Greene SC said the sentencing judge failed to have any proper regard to Clarke's guilty plea and referred to him inappropriately as a "dirty old man" several times. Ms Justice Irvine, who sat with Mr Justice Mahon and Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan, said the court was not satisfied that the sentences imposed on Clarke were severe enough to warrant setting them aside.