Courts / Dublin / Report

Sentence cut for man (81) who regularly abused daughter and granddaughter

Date
2018-10-03
Stage
Appeal
Primary locality
Dublin
County
Dublin

Summary

The Court of Appeal has reduced the sentence of an unnamed 81-year-old man from seven years to five-and-a-half years. The defendant, who cannot be named to protect his victims, had previously pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to six sample counts of indecent and sexual assault. These counts were drawn from an indictment containing 18 sample counts detailing abuse inflicted over two distinct periods: between 1972 and 1978 against his adopted daughter, then aged eight to 14, and between 1997 and 2001 against his granddaughter, then aged four to eight. The original seven-year sentence was imposed by Judge Martin Nolan on July 24, 2015. The Court of Appeal has now cut this term to five-and-a-half years. The case emerged after the granddaughter sought counselling in 2013 and disclosed the abuse to her mother. The defendant subsequently admitted the offences to the girl's father and later to a priest during confession, who advised him to report the matters to the gardaí. The man voluntarily went to a garda station to make a confession. The appeal resulted in the reduction of his effective custody period, reflecting the appellate court's review of the original sentencing decision.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Sentence cut for man (81) who regularly abused daughter and granddaughter. Charges or matters: six sample counts of indecent and sexual assault. Procedural stage: appeal

When:

Case subjects

Unnamed 81-year-old

Defendant

Charges: six sample counts of indecent and sexual assault (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: A grandfather who regularly molested his young daughter and later his granddaughter over many years of their childhood has had his seven-year sentence cut on appeal.

Places mentioned

Court Venue
  • Dublin
  • Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
  • Court of Appeal

Topics

Stage Appeal Violent Crime

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