Courts / Tipperary / Report

Sex abuser denied extra time to reopen case

Summary

John Joe Patterson, 57, was convicted by a jury at Nenagh Circuit Criminal Court of sexually abusing his two step‑daughters over a ten‑year period, beginning when they were nine. The women waived anonymity so Patterson could be named in the media. He received an effective sentence of eight years imprisonment, with the final 18 months suspended, imposed by Judge John Hannan on 9 November 2015. More than two years later, Patterson applied to the Court of Appeal for an extension of time to bring an appeal. The Court, led by Mr Justice George Birmingham, refused the extension, citing "considerable difficulty" in accepting Patterson's claims that a misunderstanding had arisen from the indictment and that his former solicitor had advised that an appeal was not possible. The Court found the application to be "very significantly out of time" and not sufficiently grounded in the facts, and it was opposed by the State counsel Antonia Boyle BL.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Sex abuser denied extra time to reopen case. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Found guilty

When:

• November 9, 2015 Hearing Or Sentence
• November 2015 Hearing Or Sentence
• May 2017 Hearing Or Sentence
• 2018-02-02 Publication

Why: There would have been nothing to stop Patterson appealing his conviction and sentence because he had an "absolute right" to do so at the time. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Appeal

Read the original CNI report