Courts / Ireland / Report
Abuser loses appeal brought on grounds of jury bias
Summary
In May 2020 the Court of Appeal dismissed a 53‑year‑old man's appeal against his conviction for sexually assaulting a 13‑year‑old girl during a sleepover. The appeal was based on alleged jury bias, with the defence arguing that jurors had connections to the victim's family and workplace. The Court of Appeal, led by Mr Justice George Birmingham, found no jurisdiction to set aside the verdict and rejected the claim that the jury's composition compromised impartiality. The court noted that the trial judge had directed jurors to disclose any connections, and the defence failed to demonstrate that such connections affected the verdict. The appeal was dismissed, and the original conviction and sentence of three‑and‑a‑half years, with the final year suspended, remained in force.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Abuser loses appeal brought on grounds of jury bias. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Convicted
When:
- February 2019 Incident
- May 17, 2019 Incident
- August 19, 2015 Incident
- 2020-05-29 Publication
Why: Mr Delaney said a more reasonable assumption for an informed observer to make was that the jurors said nothing because they did not make any such connection. CNI source report
Case subjects
Appellant
Finding: Convicted
Outcome: Convicted; He was sentenced to three-and-a-half years with the final year suspended by Judge Patrick Meghen on May 17, 2019.
Places mentioned
- Court of Appeal
Topics
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