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Former reporter for anti-drugs newsletter appeals abuse conviction
Summary
Joseph Anderson, a former contributor to the anti‑drugs newsletter The Shrew, is awaiting the result of an appeal against his conviction and sentence for sexual offences committed between August 1992 and May 1995. He was 71 at the time of the appeal, lives in Powers Court, Mount St. Lower, Dublin, and had pleaded not guilty to twelve counts of sexual assault and one count of oral rape involving a boy aged 12 to 15. A jury at the Central Criminal Court found him guilty and he was sentenced to six years' imprisonment on 28 July 2016. Anderson's barrister, Patrick Gageby SC, argued that the boy's repeated visits to Anderson's home were not a legal consent and that the trial judge had misdirected the jury. The Director of Public Prosecutions, Bernard Condon SC, contended the sentence was unduly lenient and should have been higher.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Former reporter for anti-drugs newsletter appeals abuse conviction. Charges or matters: 12 counts of sexual assault and one count of oral rape between August 1992 and May 1995 when the boy was aged between 12 and 15; the offence but because he fought the case, his sentence should have been higher. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Found guilty
When:
- August 1992 Incident
- May 1995 Incident
- July 28, 2016 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2018-10-04 Publication
Why: Mr Condon submitted that Anderson's sentence would have been appropriate if he had pleaded guilty to the offence but because he fought the case, his sentence should have been higher. CNI source report
Case subjects
Appellant
Charges: 12 counts of sexual assault and one count of oral rape between August 1992 and May 1995 when the boy was aged between 12 and 15; the offence but because he fought the case, his sentence should have been higher (Proven)
Plea: Guilty
Finding: Found guilty
Outcome: Found guilty; He was found guilty by a jury at the Central Criminal Court and sentenced to six years imprisonment by Mr Justice Paul Butler on July 28, 2016. In a separate appeal, Mr Condon submitted that Anderson's sentence was "unduly lenient" due to the age of the victim and the grooming that was involved.
Places mentioned
- Court of Appeal
- Central Criminal Court
- The Central Criminal Court
Topics
Drugs Stage Appeal Violent Crime
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