Courts / Roscommon / Report
Man jailed for repeated sexual assaults on babysitter has jail term cut on appeal
Summary
A Roscommon man convicted of repeatedly sexually assaulting a teenage girl employed as a babysitter has had his sentence reduced on appeal. Michael King, aged 53 and resident of Warren View, Boyle, was originally sentenced to five and a half years imprisonment by Roscommon Circuit Criminal Court in May 2023 following his conviction on twelve counts of sexual assault. The Court of Appeal has now reduced his term by fifteen months. King had pleaded not guilty but was unanimously convicted by jury of all charges relating to offences against a girl aged 16, committed over a nine-month period ending in September 2005. The Court of Appeal found the trial judge erred in imposing consecutive sentences, determining the cumulative headline sentence of ten and a half years was excessive. The court re-sentenced King to five years imprisonment with the final nine months suspended. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy cited mitigating factors including the passage of time since the offences and King's subsequent pro-social conduct, though noting the absence of a guilty plea.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Man jailed for repeated sexual assaults on babysitter has jail term cut on appeal. Charges or matters: all 12 counts of sexual assault but a jury unanimously convicted him on all charges. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- September 2005 Incident
- May 2023 Incident
- 2024-02-15 Publication
Why: "At 34 years of age, I am still learning that I have a voice, because I have been silent for so long and that my voice matters and that 'no' is always an option. CNI source report
Case subjects
Appellant
Charges: all 12 counts of sexual assault but a jury unanimously convicted him on all charges (Alleged Or Contested)
Plea: Not guilty
Outcome: In May 2023 at Roscommon Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Kenneth Connolly jailed King, of Warren View, Boyle, Co Roscommon, for five and a half years for 12 counts of sexual assault on the girl who was 16 years old at the time of the offending, while King was in his mid-30s. At the Court of Appeal today, Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy said the court would quash the original sentence and re-sentence King to five years' imprisonment with the final nine months suspended.
Places mentioned
- Court of Appeal
- Roscommon
- Roscommon Circuit Criminal Court
Topics
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