Courts / Offaly / Report

Man fails in bid to overturn conviction for abusing sisters over 40 years ago

Summary

A 62‑year‑old man who sexually abused his two sisters over a seven‑year period more than 40 years ago lost an appeal against his conviction and five‑year prison sentence. The Court of Appeal, led by Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, rejected the appellant's legal team's arguments that the trial was unfair because the offences occurred more than four decades earlier, that separate trials should have been held for each complainant, and that the indictment had been amended after all evidence was heard. The appellant was originally convicted in September 2021 by a Central Criminal Court jury in Tullamore, Co. Offaly, of one count of rape and 12 counts of indecent assault between 1974 and 1981, and was sentenced to five years in prison by Ms Justice Carmel Stewart. The appeal was dismissed, with the court finding no merit in the criticisms raised.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Man fails in bid to overturn conviction for abusing sisters over 40 years ago. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Convicted

When:

• September 2021 Incident
• 1974 and 1981 Incident
• 2023-04-24 Publication

Why: The woman said she stopped speaking because of this abuse, and her mother confirmed that she was mute for a period during childhood. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Appeal Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report