Bill Kenneally’s sentence for indecent assault upheld

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

Bill Kenneally’s 14-year prison sentence for indecently assaulting 10 boys was upheld by the Court of Appeal, reported on 22 February 2018. The assaults took place at various locations in Waterford during the 1980s, and Kenneally had pleaded guilty to 10 sample counts.

Kenneally was sentenced at Waterford Circuit Criminal Court in February 2016 to 14 years and two months’ imprisonment. The appeal court held that, although severe, the sentence was not so severe as to amount to an error in principle. The judgment described the nature, scale and extent of the offending as highly unusual, citing the number of complainants, grooming, photographs and Kenneally’s access to and influence over the boys.