Ross O’Shea loses sexual assault dismissal appeal

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

Ross O’Shea lost his appeal against dismissal from the Defence Forces at the Court of Appeal, in a judgment delivered on 4 November 2025.

O’Shea had been convicted by a General Court Martial of sexually assaulting a female non-commissioned officer at a barracks in Leinster on 25 June 2020. He was also convicted of assault against the same officer.

The Court of Appeal said the military trial judge gave detailed reasons for concluding that dismissal was required. The judgment said the offences’ military context and their effect on discipline were relevant to that decision.