Courts / Louth / Report
Man who tried to buy silence of girl (12) after sexually assaulting her jailed by Court of Appeal
Summary
In March 2023 the Court of Appeal sentenced a 39‑year‑old man to 18 months' imprisonment for sexually assaulting his partner's 12‑year‑old daughter. The assault occurred on 5–6 October 2019 during a family gathering when the girl was asleep on a couch. The man woke her twice, touched her vagina and chest under her pyjamas, and then attempted to buy her silence, offering €20, then €600, which she refused. He pleaded guilty to sexual assault and had originally received a four‑year sentence suspended in full by Judge Patrick Quinn in February 2022. The Director of Public Prosecutions appealed, arguing the non‑custodial sanction was too lenient. The Court of Appeal found the original sentence unduly lenient, quashed it, and imposed the 18‑month custodial term. The judge noted the assault had a profound effect on the girl and that the man had shown no immediate remorse.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Man who tried to buy silence of girl (12) after sexually assaulting her jailed by Court of Appeal. Charges or matters: sexual assault and was sentenced to four years in jail which was suspended in full by Judge Patrick Quinn at Dundalk Circuit Criminal Court in February of last year. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- October 5 Incident
- October 6, 2019 Incident
- 2023-03-27 Publication
Why: The man (39), who cannot be named in order to protect the identity of his victim, was jailed for 18 months today for the assault, which had a "profound" effect on the girl. CNI source report
Case subjects
Appellant
Charges: sexual assault and was sentenced to four years in jail which was suspended in full by Judge Patrick Quinn at Dundalk Circuit Criminal Court in February of last year (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: A man who tried to buy the silence of his partner's 12-year-old daughter after sexually assaulting her has been jailed by the Court of Appeal today, which found that his original fully suspended sentence was too lenient. The man pleaded guilty to sexual assault and was sentenced to four years in jail which was suspended in full by Judge Patrick Quinn at Dundalk Circuit Criminal Court in February of last year.
Places mentioned
- Court of Appeal
- Dundalk
- Dundalk Circuit Criminal Court
Topics
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