Courts / Dublin / Report
Paramedic loses appeal against sex abuse conviction
Summary
John Devereux, a former HSE paramedic and volunteer ambulance driver, lost an appeal against his conviction for the repeated sexual assault of a nine‑year‑old child. In 2012 and 2013, he was charged with ten counts of sexual assault. A jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court acquitted him of seven counts but found him guilty of three. He was sentenced to three‑and‑a‑half years' imprisonment, with the final year suspended. Devereux's lawyers argued that the trial judge should have directed the jury to find him not guilty because the prosecution had not cross‑examined him after he gave evidence. Judge Birmingham rejected this claim, noting that the prosecution had cross‑examined Devereux over two court sessions before and after lunch, and that there was no obligation to formally present the prosecution's case to him. The Court of Appeal dismissed all grounds of appeal, finding no evidence of an unfair trial or an unsafe verdict.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Paramedic loses appeal against sex abuse conviction. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- April 28, 2017 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2012 and 2013 Incident
- 2018-05-17 Publication
Why: The details of how Devereux came into contact with the victim cannot be published in order to protect her anonymity. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Outcome: He was sentenced to three-and-a-half years imprisonment with the final year suspended by Judge Pauline Code on April 28, 2017.
Places mentioned
- Westbrook Avenue
- Balbriggan
- Dublin
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- Court of Appeal
Topics
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