Courts / Louth / Report
Alleged IRA man who raped two boys fails in second bid to launch appeal
Summary
Seamus Marley, an alleged IRA member, has failed in a second bid to obtain an extension of time to lodge an appeal against his convictions. At the Court of Appeal, Marley's legal team argued that a newly discovered fact—specifically an alleged undisclosed agreement between the prosecution and defence regarding the trial's conduct—demonstrated a miscarriage of justice. However, Court President Mr Justice George Birmingham dismissed the application, stating there was no evidential basis for these submissions and that Marley provided no affidavit or hard evidence to support the claim of a secret deal. Marley, who pleaded not guilty, was sentenced in May 2019 by the Central Criminal Court to seven years' imprisonment for the sexual assault and anal rape of two teenage boys in County Louth in the early 1990s. The jury had returned unanimous guilty verdicts on six counts of sexual assault and two counts of rape. The court noted that Marley had previously been refused an extension in July 2020, as the judges found no modest degree of optimism that his appeal grounds would succeed. The judge emphasized that the court's time was being wasted without evidence, particularly regarding Marley's contention that his extradition from Spain was based on different charges. The application was dismissed, leaving Marley's original sentence intact.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Alleged IRA man who raped two boys fails in second bid to launch appeal. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- May 2019 Incident
- July 2020 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2022-11-03 Publication
Case subjects
Appellant
Outcome: alleged IRA man who was jailed for seven years for the rape of two teenage boys at a "Republican safe house" two decades ago has failed in a bid for more time to bring an appeal on the basis that an alleged "newly discovered fact" showed there had been a miscarriage of justice.
Appellant
Plea: Not guilty
Outcome: In May 2019, the Central Criminal Court sentenced Marley to seven years' imprisonment for the sexual assault and anal rape of two boys in Co Louth on dates in the early 1990s.
Places mentioned
- Central Criminal Court
- Court of Appeal
- Louth
- Border road
- Stillorgan Road
- Dublin
- Midlands Prison
Topics
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