Courts / Wicklow / Report
Child rapist who lost battle to remain anonymous fails in conviction bid
Summary
In a Court of Appeal hearing on 13 July 2023, Declan Hannon, aged 52, lost his bid to overturn a 2019 conviction for four counts of rape and two counts of indecent assault against a nine‑year‑old girl in Co. Wicklow. Hannon had pleaded not guilty but was found guilty by a jury on all six counts and sentenced to seven years' imprisonment by Mr Justice Michael White. The appeal argued that the trial judge should have discharged the jury due to prejudice from delays, missing witnesses, and undisclosed evidence. The Court of Appeal, led by Ms Justice Úna Ní Raifeartaigh, rejected all grounds, concluding that the trial was fair and that no prejudice warranted a jury discharge. The decision reaffirmed Hannon's conviction and sentence. The case also highlighted the victim's repeated court appearances and the earlier legal battle that led to Hannon's name being publicly released.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Child rapist who lost battle to remain anonymous fails in conviction bid. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Convicted
When:
- April 2019 Incident
- May 2019 Hearing Or Sentence
- November 2020 Hearing Or Sentence
- 1987 and 1989 Incident
- 2023-07-13 Publication
Why: At his appeal against this conviction, Ms Justice Ní Raifeartaigh said that the primary complaint of the appellant was that the trial judge should have discharged the jury because of the prejudice caused by the delay, as the victim made her complaint to the gardaí in 2013 relating to criminal acts that took place in the 1980s. CNI source report
Case subjects
Appellant
Plea: Not guilty
Finding: Convicted
Outcome: Convicted; Hannon, of Ramsgate Village, Gorey, Co Wexford, had pleaded not guilty but was found guilty by a jury on all six counts and sentenced to seven years' imprisonment by Mr Justice Michael White in May 2019.
Places mentioned
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