Courts / Limerick / Report
Pensioner who abused three granddaughters fails in bid to overturn conviction
Summary
The Court of Appeal upheld the conviction of a 76‑year‑old pensioner who was sentenced in June 2021 to six years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended, for sexually abusing three of his granddaughters over a period of more than five years. The appeal argued that there was no evidence to justify the time gap between the offences and the complaints made by the girls. The court found that the first granddaughter had complained to her teacher in January 2014 and to Gardaí in 2016, while the third girl had confided in a school friend in 2016. The appeal was dismissed on the basis that intrafamilial abuse can delay complaints and that the evidence of the complaints was admissible. The judge noted that the delay did not render the evidence inadmissible and that the girls' testimony was consistent with their earlier complaints. The appeal was therefore rejected. The unnamed man pleaded not guilty.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Pensioner who abused three granddaughters fails in bid to overturn conviction. Charges or matters: 13 sexual assaults of the girls, who were aged between eight and 11-years-old at the time of the offending, but a unanimous jury found him guilty on all charges. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Found guilty
When:
- 1 March Incident
- 31 August Incident
- 1 October Incident
- 11 February Incident
- 1 April Incident
- 30 September Incident
- January 2014 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2023-05-16 Publication
Why: The man (76), who is from the southwest and who cannot be named in order to protect the identity of his victims, was sentenced to six years with the final two suspended by Judge Orla Crowe at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court in June, 2021. CNI source report
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Charges: 13 sexual assaults of the girls, who were aged between eight and 11-years-old at the time of the offending, but a unanimous jury found him guilty on all charges (Proven)
Plea: Not guilty
Finding: Found guilty
Outcome: Found guilty; The Court of Appeal has upheld the conviction of a pensioner who was jailed for sexually abusing three of his granddaughters for over five years and who argued there was no evidence to justify the time gap between the offending and complaints made by the girls. The man (76), who is from the southwest and who cannot be named in order to protect the identity of his victims, was sentenced to six years with the final two suspended by Judge Orla Crowe at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court in June, 2021.
Places mentioned
- Court of Appeal
- Limerick
- Limerick Circuit Criminal Court
Topics
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