Courts / Roscommon / Report
Man whose neighbour allowed him to rape her five-year-old daughter has sentenced increased by six years
Summary
A man from Roscommon has been sentenced to fourteen years imprisonment following a Court of Appeal determination that his original eight-year sentence was manifestly inadequate. The accused had pleaded guilty to repeated counts of rape and sexual assault of a young neighbour between 2004 and 2008. The victim was five years old when the offences commenced and continued for approximately three and a half years until the child was taken into care by the Health Service Executive. President of the Court of Appeal Mr Justice Seán Ryan described the crimes as standing "on the most heinous level" of offending, involving depravity that amounted to torture. The Director of Public Prosecutions successfully applied for the sentence to be reviewed in December 2014. Mr Justice Ryan stated that whilst mitigating factors including the accused's late guilty plea and difficult background were considered, a much more severe sentence could have been imposed. The court imposed fourteen years on each of the fifteen rape counts to run concurrently, with no change to the sexual assault convictions.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Man whose neighbour allowed him to rape her five-year-old daughter has sentenced increased by six years. Charges or matters: similar offences. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- July 2004 Other
- January 2008 Other
- July 31 2013 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2004 and 2008 Incident
- 2004 to 2008 Other
- 2015-02-13 Publication
Why: Mr Justice Seán Ryan said the sentencing judge did not say anything about the facts of the case because other court proceedings concerning the victim were pending at the time. CNI source report
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Charges: similar offences (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: A man whose neighbour allowed him to rape her five-year-old daughter repeatedly over a three year period has been sentenced to 14 years in prison following a finding last year by the Court of Appeal that his original eight-year-sentence was too lenient. Ms Biggs had told the court that the victim's mother has since been sentenced to 14 years imprisonment with four-and-a-half suspended and her father had also pleaded guilty to similar offences.
Places mentioned
Topics
Related court reports
- Court refuses to reduce sentence for brothel keeper caught with child abuse material
- Cage fighter convicted of Shannon murder gets hearing date for miscarriage of justice application
- Strokestown assault conviction overturned by High Court
- Cage fighter seeks to have murder conviction declared a miscarriage of justice
- Ukrainian man left with serious head injury after unprovoked fire extinguisher attack
- Judge asks for information on allegation that garda photographed whistleblower in court
If a fact, identity, locality or legal outcome needs review, email the newsroom with this report's details prefilled.
Email a correction request