Courts / Laois / Report
10 years for man who raped and sexually abused daughter
Summary
Patrick Shiels, 66, was sentenced to 10 years in prison at the Central Criminal Court following a retrial. He was found guilty of oral rape and four counts of sexual assault committed against his daughter, Marlene Prakash-Shiels, between September 2000 and December 2004 at his address in Togher, Portlaoise, Co Laois. Shiels was also found guilty of two charges of child cruelty. Although convicted and jailed in a previous trial, he was released in July 2021 after the Court of Appeal ordered a re-trial. Mr Justice Tony Hunt imposed a headline sentence of 12 years for the oral rape count, reducing it to 10 years after considering minor mitigating factors, including Shiels' age and lack of prior convictions. Sentences of four years for the remaining counts were imposed to run concurrently, with credit for time served. The judge noted limited scope for mitigation as Shiels does not accept the verdict and has expressed no remorse. The victim, who waived anonymity, described the lasting trauma in her impact statement. The court highlighted that the case fell within the more serious category of sexual offences.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: 10 years for man who raped and sexually abused daughter. Charges or matters: oral rape and four counts of sexual assault on various occasions between September 2000 and December 2004 at his then address in Togher, Portlaoise, Co Laois following a retrial earlier this year. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Found guilty
When:
- September 2000 Incident
- December 2004 Incident
- July 2021 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2022-07-22 Publication
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Charges: oral rape and four counts of sexual assault on various occasions between September 2000 and December 2004 at his then address in Togher, Portlaoise, Co Laois following a retrial earlier this year (Proven)
Finding: Found guilty
Outcome: Found guilty; Shiels was convicted and jailed following a previous trial but released from custody in July 2021 after the Court of Appeal ordered a re-trial. Mr Justice Hunt said this case fell within the more serious category and imposed a headline sentence of 12 years on the count of oral rape.
Places mentioned
- The Central Criminal Court
- Court of Appeal
Topics
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