D. conviction quashed in indecent assault appeal

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

D.’s convictions for six counts of indecent assault and one count of sexual assault were quashed by the Court of Criminal Appeal on 20 May 2014.

The court, comprising MacMenamin J., Moriarty J. and Herbert J., directed a re-trial after finding the jury directions on corroboration and delay deficient.

D. had pleaded not guilty to 18 counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual assault.

He was acquitted on three indecent-assault counts by direction and on 12 indecent-assault and one sexual-assault count by jury verdict.

He was sentenced on 20 March 2012 to eight years on each indecent-assault count, with the final two years suspended, and five years for sexual assault.

The prosecution case mainly relied on uncorroborated evidence from D.F., while the defence challenged the jury directions and the sufficiency of the evidence.