Courts / Limerick / Report
Child abuser fails to overturn conviction
Summary
A 61‑year‑old Limerick man failed to overturn a conviction for sexually abusing his partner's daughter over a two‑year period when she was 12 to 14. The Court of Appeal rejected his appeal, upholding the jury's finding of guilt on 31 counts of sexual assault, oral rape, attempted rape and attempted anal rape at various Limerick locations between 1994 and 1997. The man had pleaded not guilty but was found guilty after a one‑week trial in the Central Criminal Court in November 2022, and was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment by Mr Justice Paul McDermott in February 2023. His appeal argued that a statement by the victim's mother, in which he allegedly said "I'm sorry for what I did to the kids", was inadmissible and that a change of dress after remand had prejudiced the jury.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Child abuser fails to overturn conviction. Charges or matters: the charges but was found guilty following a one-week trial in the Central Criminal Court in November 2022, with the man subsequently jailed for 12 years by Mr Justice Paul McDermott in February 2023. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Found guilty
When:
- November 2022 Adjournment
- February 2023 Hearing Or Sentence
- 1994 and 1997 Incident
- 2025-10-06 Publication
Why: Ms Rowland explained that an allegation that the appellant had sexually abused the girl had been put to him by the mother of the complainant, to which the appellant replied that it was lies. CNI source report
Case subjects
Appellant
Charges: the charges but was found guilty following a one-week trial in the Central Criminal Court in November 2022, with the man subsequently jailed for 12 years by Mr Justice Paul McDermott in February 2023 (Proven)
Plea: Not guilty
Finding: Found guilty
Outcome: Found guilty; He had pleaded not guilty to the charges but was found guilty following a one-week trial in the Central Criminal Court in November 2022, with the man subsequently jailed for 12 years by Mr Justice Paul McDermott in February 2023.; A further ground of appeal raised by the defence concerned the appellant being remanded in custody at one point during the trial and appearing in court the next day wearing different clothes than the shirt, tie and jacket he had been wearing every other day.
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