Adam Fitzgibbon gets 9½ years for assault

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

Adam Fitzgibbon was given a nine-and-a-half-year sentence for assault by the Court of Criminal Appeal on 17 July 2014. The sentence replaced an earlier term after the court found an error in principle in the original sentencing exercise.

The court said prosecuting counsel must draw sentencing judges’ attention to relevant guidance, including reputable analysis of sentences typically imposed for the offence. It also said the prosecution should address significant mitigation arguments where it considered they lacked a proper basis or were being given undue weight.

The court assessed the starting point at 12½ years before allowing a three-year reduction for mitigating factors, including Fitzgibbon’s alcohol dependence.