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Man jailed for raping sister-in-law over 35 years ago has conviction quashed
Summary
In 2018 a 60‑year‑old man was convicted of raping his 15‑year‑old sister‑in‑law at his home in the east of Ireland between October 1983 and July 1984. The prosecution alleged that he had shown pornographic magazines and photographs, pushed her onto the bed and raped her. The victim, who was too afraid to speak at the time, later disclosed the assault to her mother, siblings, a doctor and a family member at a charity event. After a statement to Gardaí, the man was found guilty by a Central Criminal Court jury and sentenced to nine years' imprisonment, with the final three‑and‑a‑half years suspended. In February 2020 the Court of Appeal quashed the conviction and ordered a retrial, finding that the trial judge's comments about the case having "a lot of detail" had improperly influenced the jury.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Man jailed for raping sister-in-law over 35 years ago has conviction quashed. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Convicted
When:
- October 1983 Hearing Or Sentence
- July 1984 Hearing Or Sentence
- July 30, 2018 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2020-02-04 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Finding: Convicted
Outcome: Convicted; A man jailed for raping his sister-in-law more than 30 years ago has had his conviction quashed over a trial judge's comments to the jury concerning the level of detail in the case. The man was convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury following a trial and was sentenced to nine years imprisonment with the final three-and-a-half years suspended by Ms Justice Deirdre Murphy on July 30, 2018.
Places mentioned
- Central Criminal Court
- Court of Appeal
- Appeal's view
Topics
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