Courts / Ireland / Report
Army captain fails in bid to overturn sex assault conviction
Summary
An army captain, Captain Ross O'Shea, was convicted in October 2022 of sexually assaulting a female non‑commissioned officer at a barracks in Leinster on 25 June 2020. The assault involved moving his hands up and down her back while saying "come on" and pulling her against him. He was also found guilty of a Section 2 assault for moving towards her in a manner that caused her to apprehend an assault. A custodial sentence of six months was imposed, suspended for one year, and his dismissal was ordered. In October 2024 the Court of Appeal dismissed all grounds of appeal. The court held that any missing CCTV footage could not be considered a realistic line of defence, arguing that the footage would not have captured the key movements or words and that the evidence already presented was sufficient. The appeal was dismissed and the conviction upheld.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Army captain fails in bid to overturn sex assault conviction. Charges or matters: five charges, including charges of conduct contrary to good order and two charges of assault against the two female NCO officers contrary to Section 2 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997; two other charges and acquitted of a further seven charges while four more were withdrawn during the trial. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Convicted
When:
- October 2022 Hearing Or Sentence
- June 25, 2020 Hearing Or Sentence
- September 2022 Hearing Or Sentence
- October 14, 2022 Incident
- 2024-10-15 Publication
Case subjects
Appellant
Charges: five charges, including charges of conduct contrary to good order and two charges of assault against the two female NCO officers contrary to Section 2 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997; two other charges and acquitted of a further seven charges while four more were withdrawn during the trial (Proven)
Plea: Guilty
Finding: Convicted
Outcome: Convicted; A custodial sentence of six months was imposed but this was suspended for a period of one year. His dismissal was ordered as part of the sentence imposed on these two charges.
Places mentioned
- Court of Appeal
Topics
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