Courts / Dublin / Report
Businessman appeals 14-year sentence for rape of neglected girls
Summary
In October 2020, a 39‑year‑old English businessman appealed the 14‑year prison sentence he received for raping and sexually assaulting two sisters aged 10 and 12 between December 2010 and March 2011. The trial, held at the Central Criminal Court, lasted 42 days and involved three counts of rape and eight counts of sexual assault. The defendant was sentenced to 14 years, with two years suspended on the condition of participating in the "Better Lives" treatment programme for sex offenders. He maintains his innocence and disputes the jury's verdict. In March 2020, his appeal against conviction on 11 charges was dismissed by the Court of Appeal, which rejected claims that the girls' interviews by specialist Gardaí were fundamentally flawed. The Court of Appeal, presided over by Mr Justice George Birmingham, reserved judgment on the appeal. The case remains at the appeal stage.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Businessman appeals 14-year sentence for rape of neglected girls. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Found guilty
When:
- April 2019 Incident
- December 3, 2010 Hearing Or Sentence
- March 10, 2011 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2020-10-07 Publication
Why: Ms Biggs said the judge had remarked that the realisation by the older sister that she and her siblings were taken into care because their mother was not able to protect them was "turned into a weapon against her" by the defendant. CNI source report
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Finding: Found guilty
Outcome: Found guilty; by Seán McCárthaigh An English businessman who targeted two young sisters while they were being neglected by their mother and moved the family to Ireland to avoid detection has appealed against the severity of the 14-year sentence imposed for the rape and sexual assault of his victims. The man, who was sentenced to 14 years in prison with two years suspended on condition that he participated in the "Better Lives" treatment programme for sex offenders, continues to protest his innocence and disputes the jury's verdict.
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