Courts / Galway / Report

Sex attacker loses appeal against 6-year sentence

Summary

A 26‑year‑old man, who was convicted of sexually assaulting a 16‑year‑old girl he met in a bar, lost an appeal against a six‑year prison sentence. The victim, whose identity is protected, described how the attacker pushed her onto a bed, inserted his hands into her trousers and tried to remove her clothing, and a medical examination later revealed damage to her vaginal area. The man pleaded not guilty to the offence under Section 2 of the Criminal Law (Rape) Act 1990, but was found guilty and sentenced in December 2019. In his appeal he argued that the sentence should have included a rehabilitation element and that too much weight had been given to his prior convictions, which were not all sexual and some occurred after the offence. The Director of Public Prosecutions noted the accused had shown no remorse.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Sex attacker loses appeal against 6-year sentence. Charges or matters: the offence contrary to Section 2 of the Criminal Law (Rape) Act 1990 when he appeared before Judge Rory MacCabe and a jury at Galway Circuit Criminal Court. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Convicted

When:

• December 2019 Incident
• 2021-11-22 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Appeal

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Read the original CNI report