Violent burglar has sentence increased over attack led by Dessie O'Hare

A Dublin man who participated in a violent assault and false imprisonment as part of an organised eviction has had his prison sentence increased by the Court of Appeal. Donal O'Hara, aged 27, of Coolock, had pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to assaulting John Roche and falsely imprisoning Martin Byrne at locations in Dublin on 9 June 2015. CCTV evidence showed five men, including O'Hara, forcibly removing Mr Roche from his home and attacking him. The attack occurred as part of a campaign to force a family from their residence. O'Hara was initially sentenced to three years imprisonment with the final year suspended in July 2018. Following an appeal by the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Court of Appeal found the sentence unduly lenient. President of the Court of Appeal Mr Justice George Birmingham described the offences as very serious and noted the distress caused to witnesses. O'Hara was re-sentenced to four years imprisonment with the final year suspended, increasing his custodial term by twelve months.