Courts / Louth / Report
Alleged 'IRA man' refused more time to appeal rape convictions
Summary
An alleged IRA member, Seamus Marley, aged 46, was convicted of raping two teenage boys in County Louth in the early 1990s. A Central Criminal Court jury found him guilty on six counts of sexual assault and two counts of rape after a six‑day trial in May 2019, and Mr Justice Paul McDermott sentenced him to seven years' imprisonment. Marley attempted to appeal his conviction outside the 28‑day window normally required after sentencing. His barrister, Michael Bowman SC, applied to the Court of Appeal for an extension, arguing that Marley had misunderstood the timing of his appeal and had been advised to wait until after sentencing. The Court of Appeal, hearing the application on the grounds of delay and the interests of the victims, ruled that there was no reasonable prospect of success and refused the extension, citing the need for finality in criminal proceedings.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Alleged 'IRA man' refused more time to appeal rape convictions. Charges or matters: sexually assaulting and raping the two boys in Co. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- May 2019 Incident
- 2020-07-30 Publication
Why: This was for his own protection, as he had been subject to severe verbal abuse by other prisoners because of his suggested membership of the IRA and his conviction for being a child rapist. CNI source report
Case subjects
Appellant
Charges: sexually assaulting and raping the two boys in Co (Alleged Or Contested)
Outcome: Credit: Collins) An alleged IRA man jailed for raping teenage boys at a 'republican safe house' over two decades ago, and who was subject to 'severe' verbal abuse by other inmates in prison, has been refused more time to lodge an appeal against his conviction. According to the judge who jailed him last year, the Belfast native had used his standing in the republican movement, a movement 'well capable of clandestine killings', to silence his victims.
Places mentioned
- Court of Appeal
- Central Criminal Court
- Stillorgan Road
Topics
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