Courts / Dublin / Report

Taxi driver (60) jailed for sex attack on passenger

Date
2021-01-29

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Dublin City

County
Dublin

Summary

In a case heard in Dublin, Gerard Gunnery Senior, aged 60, was sentenced to four and a half years' imprisonment, with the final six months suspended, for sexually assaulting a passenger who had fallen asleep in his taxi. The victim, who was drunk and later described the assault as a "devastating" breach of trust, reported that Gunnery had placed his hand on her knee, masturbated, and then violently threw her out of the vehicle, leaving her on the side of the road. She suffered bruising to her elbows, kneecaps and jaw. Gunnery pleaded guilty to the charge of sexual assault, which had been brought in December 2017. The judge noted his age, health and previous good character, but also that he was now a registered sex offender and that incarceration was unavoidable. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the offence and the impact on the victim.