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Taxi Driver (85) appeals conviction for decade-long abuse of adopted daughter
Summary
An 85‑year‑old taxi driver, John Walker, was convicted in 2019 of 40 counts of indecently and sexually assaulting his adopted daughter, Jennifer Kelly, over a decade from 1990 to 2000. The jury found him guilty on all counts and he received a three‑and‑a‑half‑year jail sentence. Kelly, who was aged eight to eighteen during the abuse, gave a victim impact statement describing Walker as "an evil man, a dangerous man" who abused her for personal gratification. Walker maintains his innocence and has appealed the conviction, arguing that missing evidence from two witnesses—his deceased mother and a teacher—undermined the fairness of the trial. He claims the judge failed to warn the jury about the absence of corroborating evidence and the delay between the offences and the trial. The Court of Appeal has reserved judgment on the appeal. The unnamed 85-year-old pleaded not guilty.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Taxi Driver (85) appeals conviction for decade-long abuse of adopted daughter. Charges or matters: indecently and sexually assaulting his daughter at his home address and their previous home address at Kilmashogue Grove, Greenpark, Dublin 12, between June 1990 and April 2000. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Found guilty
When:
- November 2019 Hearing Or Sentence
- December 2019 Hearing Or Sentence
- June 1990 Hearing Or Sentence
- April 2000 Hearing Or Sentence
- 1990 and 2000 Other
- 2021-06-22 Publication
Why: Ms Leech said that the trial judge charged the jury as she did because "the evidence of Jennifer Kelly was very strong and compelling in the circumstances" and that the trial judge had urged the jury to use "common sense". CNI source report
Case subjects
Appellant
Charges: indecently and sexually assaulting his daughter at his home address and their previous home address at Kilmashogue Grove, Greenpark, Dublin 12, between June 1990 and April 2000 (Proven)
Plea: Not guilty
Finding: Found guilty
Outcome: Found guilty; An 85-year-old taxi driver who was jailed for sexually abusing his adopted daughter over a 10-year period has appealed against his conviction, arguing that "missing" evidence made his trial unfair. The trial jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict on all counts against Walker, who was jailed for three-and-a-half years in December 2019.
Places mentioned
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- Court of Appeal
- Whitehall Road
Topics
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