SEAN O'DEA resentenced for assaults after appeal

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

SEAN O'DEA had his appeal against sentence allowed by the Court of Appeal on 28 March 2017. Mr Justice Mahon delivered the court's judgment.

O'Dea pleaded guilty to two counts of assault causing harm and one count of producing an article capable of inflicting serious injury. He was convicted at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 9 February 2016.

On 21 April 2016, he received prison sentences of three and a half years and three years for the respective assault offences. The production offence was taken into consideration.

The assaults took place at the Radisson Hotel in Dublin on 21 September 2013. The judgment said O'Dea forced his way into a room armed with a wheel brace. It recorded that he maintained his then on/off girlfriend had claimed she had been raped by one of the men in the room.

The appeal court found that undue weight had been given to the aggravating factors. It imposed concurrent sentences of three and a half years for the assaults, suspending the final 18 months of both for three years after release.

The suspension was subject to €10,000 being paid by or on O'Dea's behalf to a nominated charity within three months, with a receipt provided to the Director of Public Prosecutions within ten days of payment. He was also required to enter a €100 bond to keep the peace and be of good behaviour.