Courts / Kilkenny / Report

"This is a 100 per cent insult": convicted killer after court upholds 13-year sentence for life-threatening sex attack

Summary

Walter Morrissey has lost his appeal against his 2013 conviction for aggravated sexual assault, with the Court of Appeal upholding his 13-year sentence. The 70-year-old from Co Kilkenny was found guilty of leaving a former partner with life-threatening injuries, including a severe vaginal tear described by medical experts as comparable to injuries from machete rapes. During the appeal, presided over by Mr Justice John Edwards, Justice Alan Mahon, and Justice John Hedigan, the court rejected all four grounds raised by Morrissey. These included claims that the trial judge erred by refusing to appoint new solicitors after Morrissey discharged his legal team on day eight, and that the jury should have been discharged after the victim revealed his status as a registered sex offender. The appellate judges noted that the defence failed to object immediately to the prejudicial comment and that Morrissey had no objection to the discharge of two jurors earlier in the trial. The court affirmed that the trial judge acted correctly in denying a retrial, stating it is not open to an accused to up-scutter proceedings by discharging counsel to secure a new jury. Morrissey, who was previously convicted in 1977 of the double manslaughter of Francis McEnery and his son, and in 1999 of seven counts of indecent assault, was led away to continue his 13-year sentence. As he left, he shouted that the decision was a "100 per cent insult" and called the judges "heap of crooks."

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: "This is a 100 per cent insult": convicted killer after court upholds 13-year sentence for life-threatening sex attack. Charges or matters: the double manslaughter of a father and son by deliberately driving his car into them; seven counts of indecent assault of a woman. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Found guilty

When:

• 2018-05-15 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Appeal Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report