Courts / Wicklow / Report

Victim unaware of abuse until clips found on phone of man involved in fatal crash, court hears

Date
2018-06-28

Stage
Appeal

Primary locality
Bray

County
Wicklow

Summary

Frank Kelly, aged 24, pleaded guilty to three counts of sexually assaulting a 20‑year‑old woman while she was in a state of particular vulnerability. The assaults were captured in three video clips found on the mobile phone of a man involved in a fatal car crash. The clips show Kelly licking the victim's vagina, digitally penetrating her while saying he was "going in for the kill", and anal penetration. The victim was unaware of the abuse until the clips were presented to her during the investigation, which she described as very distressing. Kelly was sentenced at Bray Circuit Criminal Court to five years' imprisonment, with the final two‑and‑a‑half years suspended by Judge Michael O'Shea on 7 April 2017. The Director of Public Prosecutions sought a review, claiming the sentence was unduly lenient, but the Court of Appeal declined to intervene, leaving Kelly's release date in February 2019.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Victim unaware of abuse until clips found on phone of man involved in fatal crash, court hears. Charges or matters: three counts of sexually assaulting a 20-year-old woman while she was in a moment of "particular vulnerability". Procedural stage: appeal

When:

April 7, 2017 Hearing Or Sentence
February 2019 Incident
2018-06-28 Publication

Case subjects

Frank Kelly

Convicted Person

Charges: three counts of sexually assaulting a 20-year-old woman while she was in a moment of "particular vulnerability" (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: Kelly was sentenced at Bray Circuit Criminal Court to five years imprisonment with the final two-and-a-half years suspended by Judge Michael O'Shea on April 7, 2017. The Director of Public Prosecutions sought a review of Kelly's sentence today on grounds that it was "unduly lenient".