Courts / Offaly / Report
'This is me reclaiming my voice,' survivor tells court as rapist is jailed for 8.5 years
Summary
Joseph Campbell (63), of Castle Court, Daingean, Co Offaly, was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court to eight and a half years in prison for rape and sexual assault. Campbell, who maintains his innocence and does not accept the jury's verdict, was convicted last June of raping an 11-year-old boy, identified as Devin O'Donnell, in October 2017. Additional charges of sexual assault in December 2021 were taken into account. Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring imposed a headline sentence of 11 years, reduced to 10 years, with the final 18 months suspended. Concurrent six-year terms were imposed for the sexual assault offences. Campbell was ordered to have no contact with Mr O'Donnell during his imprisonment and for five years post-release, and must engage with the Probation Service for 12 months upon release. The judge noted aggravating factors, including Campbell's breach of trust as a grandfather figure and his lack of insight, while accepting his lack of previous convictions as mitigation. The sentence hearing had previously been adjourned to allow for the preparation of a Probation Services report.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: 'This is me reclaiming my voice,' survivor tells court as rapist is jailed for 8.5 years. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Convicted
When:
- October 2017 Incident
- December 2021 Incident
- October 2023 Other
- 2025-10-06 Publication
Why: "And for a long time, I felt that silence keep my quiet, because the shame felt louder than my voice. CNI source report
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Finding: Convicted
Outcome: Convicted; Campbell, who is the father of Mr O'Donnell's step-mother, was jailed for eight and a half years today.; She previously adjourned the sentence hearing to allow for the preparation of a report from the Probation Services.
Places mentioned
- Central Criminal Court
Topics
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