Courts / Dublin / Report
Serial child sex abuser claims it was unfair to allow victims give video link evidence
Summary
A 64-year-old man, Richard O'Brien, who sexually abused and raped his sisters, niece, and daughters, is appealing his conviction, arguing that allowing victims to give evidence via video link was unfair. O'Brien was convicted of 63 counts of rape, sexual assault, and indecent assault against five victims between 1975 and 2011. His appeal focuses on the fairness of allowing some victims to give evidence by video link, as the defence claims the jury was deprived of seeing the witnesses in person. O'Brien's counsel argued that the medical reports did not justify the use of video link for some victims and that the lack of consent for certain rape counts was not adequately established. The prosecution countered that the judge had discretion in allowing video evidence and that the jury had an adequate opportunity to assess the witnesses' demeanour. The court will reserve judgment on the appeal.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Serial child sex abuser claims it was unfair to allow victims give video link evidence. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Convicted
When:
- May 2023 Incident
- 1975 and 2011 Incident
- 2025-12-16 Publication
Why: "I say that no good reason was put forward in respect of three of the complainants," he said, adding that although reasons were presented, they were neither sufficient in nature nor in quality for the judge to grant leave for the evidence to be given via video link. CNI source report
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Finding: Convicted
Outcome: Convicted; He was sentenced to life in prison by Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring in May 2023.
Places mentioned
Topics
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