Courts / Westmeath / Report
Athlone child rapist loses appeal against life sentence
Summary
In Athlone, a 32‑year‑old man was sentenced to life imprisonment for raping a nine‑year‑old and a six‑year‑old girl in a flat on 28 September 2013. He had pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court and was given a life sentence by Mr Justice Paul Carney on 3 March 2014. The man appealed the sentence, arguing it was excessive. His barrister, Sean Gillane SC, acknowledged the "nightmarish aspects" of the case and noted the seriousness of abducting and raping two very young children. Mr Justice George Birmingham, sitting with Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan and Mr Justice Alan Mahon, dismissed the appeal, concluding that the sentencing judge had not erred in imposing a discretionary life sentence. The appeal was rejected on 21 December 2015. The case remains a life‑sentence conviction for the offender.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Athlone child rapist loses appeal against life sentence. Charges or matters: raping the nine and six year old girls in a flat in Athlone on September 28, 2013. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- September 28, 2013 Hearing Or Sentence
- March 3, 2014 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2015-12-21 Publication
Why: Counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions, Patrick McGrath SC, had said the man was submitting that because it was a single set of transactions, it somehow put the offence in a different category. Prosecution account reported by CNI
Case subjects
Appellant
Charges: raping the nine and six year old girls in a flat in Athlone on September 28, 2013 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: He was sentenced to life imprisonment by Mr Justice Paul Carney on March 3, 2014.
Places mentioned
- Central Criminal Court
- Supreme Court
- Court of Appeal
- before he left the Garda station
Topics
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