Courts / Dublin / Report

Serial rapist appeals 14-year jail term for attacks on escorts

Date
2021-07-13

Stage
Appeal

Primary locality
Dublin

County
Dublin

Summary

Noel McKeon, a former security guard, appealed to the Court of Appeal against his 14-year effective jail term for the rape and violent assault of two sex workers. The Central Criminal Court previously heard that McKeon contacted the victims via an escorts website, leading to attacks in June 2016 and February 2018. In the first incident, he assaulted the victim, who escaped by jumping from a window, and then raped her. In the second, he assaulted and raped another woman after she refused condomless sex. McKeon pleaded guilty to sexual assault, assault, robbery, and rape of both women, as well as false imprisonment of the first victim. Justice Tony Hunt imposed consecutive headline sentences of ten years for each victim, applying a four-year discount for the guilty pleas to result in a 16-year term. He suspended the final two years on condition that McKeon engage in sex offender treatment and anger management, specifically regarding violence towards women. McKeon's counsel, Barry White SC, argued that a "crushing sentence" had been imposed and that the totality principle was insufficiently applied. The DPP, represented by John Fitzgerald SC, countered that the effective 14-year sentence was within the margin of appreciation and incentivised rehabilitation. The Court of Appeal, comprising Justices Birmingham, Edwards, and Donnelly, reserved judgment on the appeal.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Serial rapist appeals 14-year jail term for attacks on escorts. Charges or matters: sexual assault, assault, robbery and rape of the two women. Procedural stage: appeal

When:

June 18, 2016 Incident
February 2, 2018 Incident
February 4, 2018 Incident
2021-07-13 Publication

Why: " He argued that he had reduced the sentence and suspended part of it in order to incentivise rehabilitation. CNI source report

Case subjects

Noel McKeon

Defendant

Charges: sexual assault, assault, robbery and rape of the two women (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: He suspended the final two years of this sentence on condition that McKeon engage in sex offender treatment and anger management, specifically around violence towards women. He argued that 'a crushing sentence' had been imposed.