54-year-old Tipperary man loses sexual assault appeal

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

A 54-year-old Tipperary man lost his appeal against convictions for sexual assault and child defilement at the Court of Appeal in Dublin on 5 February 2019.

The appeal concerned the exclusion of text messages exchanged between the complainant and a 13-year-old boy. Mr Justice George Birmingham said the messages did not support an argument that she had experienced penetrative sex with a peer.

The three-judge court dismissed the appeal, finding no doubt about the fairness of the trial or the safety of the verdict.