Courts / Ireland / Report

State appeals acquittal on charge of falsely imprisoning teen

Date
2020-12-17

Stage
Appeal

Summary

The State appealed the court‑directed acquittal of two individuals charged with falsely imprisoning a teenager five years earlier. The first accused, a teenage boy at the time, faced two counts; the second, a woman in her 60s, faced one count. The alleged victim did not testify, but the trial judge admitted his statements after the State applied to have him treated as a hostile witness. At the end of the prosecution case, the defence requested the jury to find the accused not guilty. The judge, citing the victim's failure to answer questions, directed the jury to acquit both. The Director of Public Prosecutions appealed, arguing that Section 16 of the Criminal Justice Act allowed the jury to assess the reliability of the admitted statements. Counsel for the young man and the woman argued that a retrial would be oppressive and that the accused denied wrongdoing. The case was referred to the Court of Appeal for further consideration. The unnamed accused was acquitted.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: State appeals acquittal on charge of falsely imprisoning teen. Charges or matters: two counts of falsely imprisoning the alleged injured party; one count of falsely imprisoning the same person. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Acquitted

When: