Brothers jailed for rape and sexual abuse of young cousin

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

Aidan Gallagher was jailed for five years and placed under two years of post-release supervision for six charges of oral rape of his cousin. His brother Thomas Gallagher was jailed for two years for one charge of rape and seven charges of sexual assault against her.

Justice David Keane sentenced the brothers at the Central Criminal Court on 16 October 2023. The proceedings were reported on 16 October 2023.

The brothers denied the allegations. A Central Criminal Court jury sitting in Carrick-on-Shannon, County Leitrim, convicted them in May 2023.

Aidan Gallagher’s offences took place in sheds around their homes between 1998 and 2003. Thomas Gallagher’s offences took place between 1999 and 2003 at the family’s then home in Dadreen, Co Mayo.

Their cousin, Danielle Gallagher, waived her right to anonymity so the brothers could be named. At a previous hearing in July 2023, she read a victim impact statement describing the effects of the abuse.

The judge said the offences warranted a headline sentence of 10 years, which he reduced to six years because both men were minors at the time. He said they had shown no remorse, made no apology and made no effort to make amends because they did not accept the jury’s verdicts. Neither had previous convictions.

Thomas Gallagher’s sentence was reduced to two years because of his severe medical condition. He was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in October 2022; a medical report said he was terminally ill and the disease was progressing rapidly. Justice Keane said the prison could provide the necessary treatment at that time, although the Prison Service report said it was difficult to determine how much longer it could support him.

Aidan Gallagher’s counsel said he continued to protest his innocence but accepted the process and did not intend to appeal his conviction.