Courts / Cork / Report

Teacher's sexual assault conviction is upheld

Summary

In a 2020 appeal, an 80‑year‑old retired teacher, John Devlin, sought to overturn an 2017 conviction for sexually assaulting a student. His counsel argued that no evidence supported five of the eight counts and that reasonable doubt existed for the remaining three. The appeal court, hearing the case, noted that the jury had deliberated just over an hour and that the victim had provided detailed testimony for only three incidents. The court rejected the appeal, stating that the conviction was not perverse and that the jury's verdict was within its jurisdiction. The judge emphasized that the evidence was sufficient and that the trial had been fair, thereby upholding the original conviction. The teacher had already served his sentence.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Teacher's sexual assault conviction is upheld. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Convicted

When:

• 2020-12-15 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Appeal Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report