Courts / Dublin / Report

Prison sentence for doctor (86) who abused patients is upheld

Summary

An 86‑year‑old retired doctor, whose name is protected by the Court of Appeal, lost an appeal against the severity of his sentence for abusing two teenage boys in the mid‑1970s. He had pleaded not guilty to eight charges of indecent assault on six patients between 1964 and 1991. A jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court found him guilty of indecent assault on two 15‑year‑old patients; one complainant was directed not guilty and the remaining counts were acquitted. Judge Cormac Quinn imposed two consecutive 10‑month sentences, totalling 20 months imprisonment, a sentence within the maximum two‑year range for the offence at the time. The Court of Appeal, in a three‑judge panel, upheld the 20‑month custodial term, noting the serious betrayal of trust inherent in the doctor's position and the deliberate nature of the acts. The appeal was dismissed with no error found in principle.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Prison sentence for doctor (86) who abused patients is upheld. Charges or matters: eight charges of indecently assaulting six patients in the north east of the country, on dates between 1964 and 1991. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Found guilty

When:

• 1964 and 1991 Other
• 2019-07-03 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Appeal Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report