Courts / Dublin / Report
Man to serve full prison term for repeated abuse of stepdaughter after appeal rejected
Summary
Noel Foran, 61, of Lucan, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment in July 2023 after pleading guilty to ten sexual assaults on his stepdaughter between 1991 and 1998. The judge imposed 18‑month sentences on the first and tenth charges to run consecutively, while the remaining eight were considered together. Foran's appeal to the Court of Appeal was dismissed on 26 February 2024, with Justice Tara Burns ruling that the sentencing judge had no error in principle in imposing consecutive sentences. Foran admitted to touching his stepdaughter's vagina while she slept, claiming the acts never progressed beyond touching and that he masturbated. He had no prior convictions and had engaged in counselling at the Granada Institute. The victim, Irene Cullen, gave a victim‑impact statement describing lasting PTSD, self‑harm, and prolonged hospital stays. The Court of Appeal upheld the full three‑year term, rejecting the appeal for a reduced sentence.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Man to serve full prison term for repeated abuse of stepdaughter after appeal rejected. Charges or matters: three sample counts of ten sexual assaults that occurred at the family home between March 14, 1991 and March 13, 1998. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- March 14, 1991 Incident
- March 13, 1998 Incident
- New Year's Eve Incident
- 2024-02-26 Publication
Case subjects
Appellant
Charges: three sample counts of ten sexual assaults that occurred at the family home between March 14, 1991 and March 13, 1998 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Noel Foran (61) of Esker Meadow Rise, Lucan, Co Dublin, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court last July after he pleaded guilty to three sample counts of ten sexual assaults that occurred at the family home between March 14, 1991 and March 13, 1998. Foran was sentenced to 18 months on the first and tenth charge with the sentences to run consecutively for the sexual assaults of Irene Cullen, while the other eight sexual assaults were taken into consideration by Judge Orla Crowe.
Places mentioned
- Court of Appeal
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- St Patrick's Hospital
Topics
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