Edward Piotrowski loses appeal against rape convictions

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

Edward Piotrowski lost his appeal against convictions for rape and sexual assault in the Court of Criminal Appeal on 29 April 2014. The three-judge court was presided over by Mr Justice Frank Clarke, sitting with Mr Justice Michael Moriarty and Mr Justice Michael White.

He had received five concurrent life sentences from Mr Justice Peter Charleton in the Central Criminal Court in January 2010: three for rape, one for aggravated sexual assault and one for false imprisonment of a woman. He also received a concurrent 10-year sentence for aggravated burglary, assault and false imprisonment of a man. The sentences were backdated to November 2007.

The appeal court rejected arguments that the trial judge had failed to explain the presumption of innocence and the defence case properly. It had also rejected an application to introduce new evidence as unsubstantiated, uncorroborated and implausible. The proceedings were reported on 30 April 2014. Piotrowski’s appeal against sentence was due to be heard at a later date.