Richard Sweeney, aged 27 of Railway Lough, Belturbet, Co Cavan, has had his prison sentence doubled by the Court of Appeal following a prosecution challenge that his original term was unduly lenient. Sweeney had pleaded guilty at Cavan Circuit Criminal Court to violent disorder in the home of a vulnerable man in Belturbet on 24 February 2014. He was initially sentenced to two years imprisonment with six months suspended in March 2015. The Court of Appeal found the sentence fell considerably short of reflecting the gravity of the offence, in which Sweeney was one of four masked men who forced entry to the victim's home, threatened to kill him, and subjected him to a severe assault involving weapons. Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan, delivering judgment, noted aggravating factors including the planned nature of the attack, the victim's vulnerability, and violation of his home. Sweeney was re-sentenced to four years imprisonment with the final year suspended.
Source links
Original report plus public source leads and related archive reports used for review context.
Related court reports
-
Criminal has sentence increased for violent disorder in home of “harmless soul” who was violently attacked
Courts News Ireland · 2016-01-18
A Dublin man's prison sentence for violent disorder has been increased by the Court of Appeal. John Doyle, aged 26 and residing in County Meath, had pleaded guilty at...
-
Shillelagh attacker has prison term more than doubled
Courts News Ireland · 2024-03-21
A Longford man's prison sentence for a pub assault has been substantially increased by the Court of Appeal. Edward Stokes, aged 33, of Ferriskill, Granard, was...
-
Pearse McAuley has jail sentence increased for "horrifying" attack on wife
Courts News Ireland · 2016-11-07
A man from Ballyconnell, County Cavan, has had his prison sentence increased by the Court of Appeal following a review by the Director of Public Prosecutions. Pearse...
-
Man who shattered his ex-partner's leg has sentenced quadrupled on appeal
Courts News Ireland · 2016-01-18
A man from Kingscourt, County Meath, has had his prison sentence substantially increased by the Court of Appeal following a successful appeal by the Director of Public...
-
Former school principal who avoided jail for €200k theft is jailed after appeal
Courts News Ireland · 2019-05-13
A former school principal from Ballybofey, County Donegal, has been sent to prison following a Court of Appeal ruling that his original suspended sentence was unduly...