Cameron Curtis’s sentence for assaults and false imprisonment was unduly lenient, appeal court rules

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

The Court of Appeal ruled on 18 January 2024 that the sentence imposed on Cameron Curtis for assaults on his partner and her false imprisonment was unduly lenient. The proceedings were reported on 18 January 2024.

Curtis pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assaulting Alannah Corrigan causing her harm at The Royal Marine Hotel in Dun Laoghaire on 19 July 2022. He also admitted seven counts of assault causing harm and one count of false imprisonment of Ms Corrigan on 12, 13, 14 and 16 August at locations in Binary Hub, Bonham Street, Dublin 8.

Judge Orla Crowe imposed concurrent sentences of two years and six months, suspending the final year for two years and leaving 18 months to serve. She ordered Curtis to remain under probation supervision for two years after release and engage with recommended offence-focused work, including anger management and domestic violence treatment programmes. By the appeal hearing, he had served his sentence after spending around 14 months in prison.

Ms Corrigan told gardaí she feared she would die when Curtis locked her in a bathroom and said he was going to get scissors. The sentencing court heard that the pair remained in a relationship. Judge Crowe noted that Curtis had no previous convictions and a difficult childhood in which he was exposed to domestic violence.

At the appeal, State counsel Simon Matthews said a probation report had noted a risk of reoffending. Defence counsel Barry White accepted the report’s concerns but argued that the sentence, while lenient, was not unduly lenient. Presiding judge Mr Justice George Birmingham requested an updated probation report before finalising the matter and adjourned the case to 1 March.