Courts / Dublin / Report

Court refuses to quash acquittal of priest accused of abusing boy in 1970s, despite finding judge was in error

Date
2024-05-14

Stage
Appeal

Primary locality
Dublin

County
Dublin

Summary

The Court of Appeal refused to quash the acquittal of a 75‑year‑old Catholic priest who faced 13 counts of gross indecency for alleged abuse of a teenage boy between 1977 and 1979. The priest was acquitted on 28 April 2023 after the trial judge, Pauline Codd, directed a not‑guilty verdict following the complainant's direct evidence. Justice Birmingham, with Justices Kennedy and Burns, found that the defence's application for a directed acquittal was unjustified and misconceived, and that the trial judge had erred in granting it. The Court held that the interests of justice did not warrant quashing the acquittal or ordering a retrial, and therefore upheld the acquittal. The case involved the complainant's testimony about early encounters with the priest, the lack of specific dates, and the prosecution's failure to clarify the timeline of alleged offences. The Court noted that the prosecution counsel had acted properly and that the defence counsel's submissions were inaccurate.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Court refuses to quash acquittal of priest accused of abusing boy in 1970s, despite finding judge was in error. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Acquitted

When: