Former school principal Patrick Harte jailed for four years in latest abuse case

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

Patrick Harte, 84, was jailed for four years after a jury convicted him of 17 counts of indecent or sexual assault against boys at a Dublin school. The convictions followed a trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Harte pleaded not guilty and continues to deny offending.

Judge Martina Baxter ordered the sentences to run concurrently and did not suspend any part of the effective four-year prison term. She said there was no evidence of remorse or insight to justify a suspended sentence. The convictions bring Harte’s total to 89, involving 32 victims.