Courts / Dublin / Report
Accused who abused young friend asks judge not to jail him as it may make him suicidal
Summary
A 21-year-old man, convicted by a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of defilement, appeared for sentencing. The accused, who was 15 at the time of the offence, was found guilty of abusing a boy aged ten or eleven in his Dublin home between January and July 2011. He had denied the charge. Prosecuting counsel Lisa Dempsey BL presented evidence that the accused forced the victim to engage in sexual acts by threatening to set his dogs on him and preventing him from leaving. The victim made a complaint in July 2011. At the hearing, the accused submitted a letter to Judge Petria McDonnell, stating he felt suicidal and feared prison would exacerbate his mental state. He noted he had moved abroad after being charged due to community hostility. Defence counsel Bernard Condon SC argued the offence was at the lower end of the range, citing a lack of evidence of pain or injury, and suggested a suspended sentence would have been likely had the accused been a minor. A victim impact report was submitted but not read. Judge McDonnell reserved her decision, noting the victim had received relief through the conviction. The matter was adjourned to April 11th, a date agreed upon by the defence and consented to by the judge, despite the prosecution's preference for an earlier date due to the victim's exams.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Accused who abused young friend asks judge not to jail him as it may make him suicidal. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Convicted
When:
- July 2011 Incident
- April 11th Incident
- 2016-01-22 Publication
Why: He said he had to move abroad after being charged because neighbours kept "calling me horrible things like paedo and rapist. CNI source report
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Finding: Convicted
Outcome: Convicted; He said that if the matter had been reported and processed sooner his client would be a minor and would likely receive a suspended sentence.
Places mentioned
Topics
Sexual Offences Stage Sentence
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