Courts / Laois / Report
Convicted man challenges inclusion on sex offender's register
Summary
John Keady, 45, who pleaded guilty to a sexual assault at the Heritage Hotel Killenard in December 2018, was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment, suspended in its entirety, and ordered to be placed on the sex‑offenders register for five years. He brought €5,000 to court as a token of remorse. Keady has now filed a High Court challenge, arguing that the notification requirements of the 2001 Sex Offenders Act do not apply because his sentence was wholly suspended and his victim was neither mentally impaired nor under 17. He claims the District Court lacked jurisdiction to order his inclusion on the register and seeks an order quashing that directive. The High Court granted permission ex‑parte, with the matter to be returned in April.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Convicted man challenges inclusion on sex offender's register. Charges or matters: a charge of sexual assault committed against a female that occurred at the Heritage Hotel Killenard, Portarlington, Co Laois on December 9th, 2018. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- December 9th, 2018 Incident
- 2020-02-12 Publication
Why: This was because Keady had received a wholly suspended sentence and because his victim was not mentally impaired nor under 17 years of age at the time of the offence, counsel said. CNI source report
Case subjects
Applicant
Charges: a charge of sexual assault committed against a female that occurred at the Heritage Hotel Killenard, Portarlington, Co Laois on December 9th, 2018 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Keady, who is aged 45 years with an address at Durabhan, Roscam, Galway and who brought €5,000 to court as a token of his remorse for the offence, received a sentence of 10 months imprisonment, which was suspended in its entirety. This was because Keady had received a wholly suspended sentence and because his victim was not mentally impaired nor under 17 years of age at the time of the offence, counsel said.
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