Gerard O'Grady, aged 54, pleaded guilty to sexually abusing two boys while babysitting them in the mid‑1980s. The victims, aged about 10 at the time, reported the abuse in 2016. O'Grady was sentenced on 6 March 2018 to six years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended. The Court of Appeal upheld the sentence. In the appeal hearing, Mr Justice George Birmingham noted the offences occurred when O'Grady was 16‑18 and that the victims were six and eight years younger. He described the single offence involving one boy as the most serious form of sexual assault, likely to be tried in the Central Criminal Court today. O'Grady entered the witness box to apologise, claiming he did not understand his actions then and only gained insight after having his first child. The appeal was dismissed.
Michael Shine, an 86‑year‑old retired surgeon from Ballsbridge, Dublin, was found guilty by a jury of thirteen charges of indecent assault against seven boys he examined over a thirty‑year period. The offences occurred during medical examinations at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda and two private clinics between 1971 and 1992. The trial, held in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, concluded on day 17 with a guilty verdict after just over six hours of deliberation. Judge Martin Nolan adjourned sentencing to 22 February and remanded Shine on bail. During the trial, each complainant described how Shine groped or masturbated on them during examinations, with incidents ranging from 1971 to 1988. Shine denied any improper conduct and claimed no memory of the alleged acts. The judge thanked the jury for their service. Michael Shine pleaded not guilty.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a woman, who remains unnamed to protect her anonymity, stated that she had forgiven her former partner, a 59‑year‑old Wicklow man, for raping her while she slept. The man, convicted by a jury in December of a single rape charge that occurred on 5 November 2015, had denied the allegation and had no prior convictions. Justice Carmel Stewart imposed a seven‑year sentence, suspending the final 18 months. The court noted the woman's "heartfelt" victim impact statement and her brave admission of forgiveness. The judge wished her well and a full recovery. The case involved a brief relationship that ended in 2015, a subsequent new relationship, and an alleged assault that the man claimed was consensual. The woman described the assault, the medical examination, and her ongoing mental‑health struggles. The defense highlighted the man's good character and parenting record.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, retired surgeon Michael Shine, 86, faced thirteen indecent assault charges linked to medical examinations at Our Lady of Lourdes hospital and two private clinics in Drogheda. Defending counsel Hugh Hartnett SC argued that the complainants' memories could be shaped by media exposure and the prospect of financial compensation, noting that each had pursued civil actions. Hartnett highlighted that one complainant had testified that, in hindsight, he believed the incidents were abuse. He questioned whether televised coverage could influence recollections. Judge Martin Nolan instructed jurors to consider each charge separately and to weigh counsel's submissions on the evidence. He noted that a medical expert had testified the alleged actions were medically inappropriate and could constitute indecent assault if accepted beyond a reasonable doubt. The jury was to resume deliberations the following day. Michael Shine pleaded not guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 86‑year‑old retired surgeon Michael Shine pleaded not guilty to thirteen indecent assault charges alleged to have occurred during medical examinations at Our Lady of Lourdes hospital and two private clinics in Drogheda. On the fifteenth day of the trial, the prosecution presented a witness who claimed that in 1971, when Shine was 13, a patient's appendix surgery was followed by Shine fondling the patient's genitals. Shine denied the allegation, stating there were no medical records and arguing that it was unfair to bring events from decades ago to trial. He also denied claims that he masturbated a 13‑year‑old patient after a testicular torsion operation, describing the allegation as "unbelievable" and "shocking". The prosecution noted that all complainants had similar accounts and had pursued civil action through Dignity 4 Patients. The trial was set to continue before Judge Martin Nolan and a jury.
A 55‑year‑old man pleaded guilty to ten charges of indecent assault against his younger brother, aged 11‑14, between September 1982 and October 1985. The court heard the abuse involved oral rape, touching the brother's penis and forcing him to masturbate. The assaults were habitual, occurring weekly or twice weekly in the family home while other members were present. The victim lived in dread and anxiety, especially after the final assault in October 1985, which he linked to the death of actor Rock Hudson. The judge, Melanie Greally, noted mitigating factors such as the accused's early guilty plea, remorse, and current responsible family life, and reduced an eight‑year headline sentence to a six‑year suspended sentence. The court recorded that the accused had no prior convictions and had lived abroad for over 30 years. The victim's impact statement described the lasting damage to his life and family.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, 86‑year‑old retired surgeon Michael Shine pleaded not guilty to thirteen charges of indecent assault alleged to have occurred during medical examinations at Our Lady of Lourdes hospital in Drogheda and two private clinics. Shine claimed he had "some senile dementia" and insisted that a nurse was always present during patient appointments, stating he saw about 18,000 patients a year. When questioned about a complainant's testimony that he groped a patient's genitals after a finger surgery, Shine denied the allegation, saying he had no memory of it and that he would never grope a patient. He also dismissed allegations of inappropriate examinations, such as masturbating a patient's penis during a rectal exam, calling them "nonsensical" and "crazy." The trial was set to continue the following day before Judge Martin Nolan and a jury.
A 54‑year‑old Tipperary man was convicted of two counts of sexual assault and two counts of defilement of a child in 2014, after a jury found him guilty of abusing a 14‑year‑old schoolgirl in 2009 and 2010. He was sentenced to six years' imprisonment by Judge Thomas Teehan. The man appealed only on the ground that his lawyers should have been allowed to introduce text messages exchanged between the victim and a 13‑year‑old boy, which he claimed could undermine the girl's credibility. The Court of Appeal, led by Mr Justice George Birmingham, rejected the appeal, holding that the text messages did not meet the statutory threshold for admissibility and that the defence had no other evidence of penetration. The court noted that the victim had denied any sexual relationship with the boy and that the texts were not relevant to the conviction. The appeal was dismissed, leaving the six‑year sentence in place.
In February 2019, Dr. Kevin Mulcahy, 61, stood trial in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for alleged sexual assault of a teenage patient in Mallow, County Cork, in 1995. He pleaded not guilty to the first charge and denied a second charge of assault between May and December 1996. The complainant, now 41, testified that she was 17 when she visited Dr. Mulcahy after a family death. She described being asked to undress, feeling uncomfortable as the doctor examined her breasts and pressed on them. She claimed he later sat with his legs apart, rocked her, and attempted to kiss her, saying he was "what a loving dad does to a child." The final alleged assault occurred in summer 1996 when the doctor exposed himself and touched her hand, offering to "teach" her. The case was heard by Judge Pauline Codd with a jury of twelve. The trial was scheduled to last a week.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 86‑year‑old retired surgeon Michael Shine pleaded not guilty to thirteen indecent assault charges linked to medical examinations at Our Lady of Lourdes hospital in Drogheda and two private clinics. On the thirteenth day of the trial, Shine told the jury he had no memory of any of the seven complainants and denied any improper conduct during examinations. He explained that he began working at Lourdes in March 1964 and continued until 1995, and that he had written a paper on misdiagnosis of testicular torsion. Shine argued that touching testicles is necessary during such exams, that touching the penis is unavoidable, and that he could not have masturbated a young patient in a hospital bed. He also dismissed Bernadette Sullivan's campaign as "over, over the top." The trial was set to continue the next day before Judge Martin Nolan and a jury.
A Catholic priest in his seventies, whose identity is withheld for legal reasons, has filed a High Court application to halt his pending criminal trial for an alleged indecent assault that allegedly occurred in the mid‑1970s. The priest denies the single charge that he touched a ten‑year‑old girl while she was seated on his knee during a film shown on a projector, a scene that was witnessed by the girl's family and other people. He claims that the complainant's delayed complaint to the Gardai in 2015, and earlier complaints to a bishop in 2004 and to the girl's parents in the 1980s, have prejudiced his case. The priest argues that many witnesses who were present have died, preventing them from providing evidence that could aid his defence, and that this creates a real risk of an unfair trial.
John Shaw, a 73-year-old English national serving a life sentence for murders committed in 1976, has been granted an extension of time to appeal a High Court decision at the Court of Appeal. Shaw has been in Irish custody since September 1976, when he and Geoffrey Evans were arrested for the abduction, rape, torture and murder of two women in Wicklow and Mayo. Both men received life sentences in February 1978. In 2016, the Parole Board recommended Shaw be granted two days of escorted temporary release annually, a recommendation the Minister for Justice declined to support. Shaw's legal challenge to that decision was dismissed by the High Court in March, though the presiding judge noted the Minister's reasoning was inadequate. At today's hearing, President of the Court of Appeal Mr Justice George Birmingham approved the late filing of Shaw's appeal, accepting that he had formed clear intention to appeal within the required timeframe.
The prosecution's case has closed in the trial of retired surgeon Michael Shine, 86, who is accused of groping boys during medical examinations at Our Lady of Lourdes hospital in Drogheda and two private clinics. He pleaded not guilty to thirteen charges of indecent assault. The trial will continue tomorrow before Judge Martin Nolan and a jury.
During the trial of retired surgeon Michael Shine, who pleaded not guilty to thirteen charges of indecent assault at Our Lady of Lourdes hospital and two private clinics in Drogheda, a medical expert, former consultant surgeon Richard Stevens, testified. Stevens, who now teaches at the Royal College of Surgeons, had examined the medical records of all seven complainants and was aware of their allegations. He told the court that there was no reasonable reason for Shine to examine the genitals of a patient who had undergone finger surgery, as alleged. Stevens described the allegations that Shine masturbated a 13‑year‑old to ejaculation as "incredible" and said he was "quite shocked" by the whole thing. He explained that normal practice involves examining testicles after surgery for testicular torsion, but there is no medical basis for a surgeon to masturbate a patient's penis, nor to examine a child's genitals in the absence of a parent.
Stephen Browner, aged 36, received a suspended 20‑month prison sentence for eight counts of sexual assault against a girl aged eight to ten while he was a teenager between December 1997 and December 1999. The court heard Browner admitted guilt and expressed remorse, describing intense feelings of shame. Judge Sinéad Ní Chúlacháin noted the victim's lasting sadness and the impact on her view of love. Browner was ordered to complete all Probation Service treatment programmes, including victim‑awareness training, and to inform future partners of his sex‑offender register status. He was found to be a minor at the time of the offences, 14 to 16 years old, and was considered a low risk of re‑offending. The judge emphasised that Browner had not yet taken concrete steps such as counselling. The victim's family had reported the abuse in 2016, and Browner's apology letter was rejected by the victim's family. Stephen Browner pleaded guilty.
The trial of retired surgeon Michael Shine, aged 86, is in legal argument before Judge Martin Nolan and a jury. Shine has pleaded not guilty to thirteen charges of indecent assault, alleged to have occurred during medical examinations at Our Lady of Lourdes hospital in Drogheda and at two private clinics in Drogheda. The jury is set to return tomorrow.
A 16‑year‑old boy pleaded guilty to five counts of oral rape and 44 counts of sexual assault against his eight‑year‑old half‑sister between 1 September 2016 and 31 January 2017. He admitted to removing her clothes, masturbating while looking at her, penetrating her vagina with his fingers, placing his penis in her mouth, and rubbing his penis on her vagina and anus, but denied penetrating either. He said he was copying what he had seen on the pornographic website PornHub. The mother discovered the abuse on 30 January 2017 when she entered the living room and found her son inappropriately touching her daughter. She filed a complaint, and the boy was arrested. In court, she described the shock and horror of discovering her daughter's innocence had been violated, and she expressed grief for both her daughter and her son.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, a 67‑year‑old former primary school teacher was convicted of 15 counts of indecent assault and three counts of sexual assault against five pupils between 1972 and 1998. He denied the allegations. The judge sentenced him to three years imprisonment, consecutive to a ten‑year term for raping and abusing a female relative. On appeal, the Court of Appeal upheld the conviction, finding the trial satisfactory. Justice Isobel Kennedy rejected the defence's arguments that the indictment should have been severed, that evidence from one victim was prejudicial, and that missing roll books warranted an acquittal. She noted commonalities among the allegations, such as the victims' ages, their status as pupils, and the teacher's role, and dismissed the appeal. The conviction remains in force.
A man convicted of rape has initiated High Court proceedings challenging the Director of Public Prosecutions over an alleged delay in reviewing a decision not to prosecute prison officers for perjury. Darius Savickis, originally from Lithuania and with an address in County Galway, was assaulted by several prison guards on 29 September 2009 while serving a sentence at Castlerea Prison in County Roscommon. The incident was recorded on CCTV. Following civil proceedings, the Court of Appeal in 2016 found the officers had lied under oath and awarded him damages totalling €17,225. In 2017, the DPP agreed to review its decision not to prosecute the officers for perjury. Savickis claims his solicitors made repeated enquiries in 2018 regarding progress, with responses indicating the review was ongoing but taking longer than expected. Mr Justice Seamus Noonan granted permission for the judicial review on an ex-parte basis on Monday, with the matter returnable in March.
Liam O'Dwyer, 45, of Capparoe, Adare, Co. Limerick, was sentenced to 11 years' imprisonment for eight counts of sexual assault, four counts of rape and one count of oral rape after a retrial. The offences occurred in his then partner's bedroom between October 1996 and December 2001, when the victim was aged 12 to 17. O'Dwyer denied the charges. Witnesses described him as obsessed with the girl, calling the house repeatedly and insisting on knowing her whereabouts. The victim, who later struggled with drug addiction and PTSD, gave a victim impact statement describing ongoing fear and trauma. The judge noted O'Dwyer was groomed into submission and, despite his denial, imposed the sentence and ordered three years of post‑release supervision. The court heard he had six prior convictions, including assault and false imprisonment. The victim's partner remains supportive of O'Dwyer's innocence.
The trial of retired surgeon Michael Shine, aged 86, at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court involves thirteen charges of indecent assault allegedly committed during medical examinations at Our Lady of Lourdes hospital in Drogheda and two private clinics. Shine pleaded not guilty. On the seventh day of the trial, Detective Garda Seamus Nolan informed the court that he had no dealings with the support group Dignity 4 Patients, but was aware that the group had referred people to Gardaí. He explained that Dignity 4 Patients is a support group for victims of medical abuse and that any campaign it ran was a matter of the group's own initiative. Nolan noted that Gardaí did not attend the group's meetings and that he had not examined the group's website. He met with Shine after the complainants had made statements to Gardaí, and Shine had prepared a statement denying all allegations.
Ger Hehir, 58, of Drumcavan, Ruan, Co. Clare, was convicted after a seven‑day retrial in November of four sexual assaults and one rape of a teenage girl between 2010 and 2013. The offences occurred at his home and at horse events across the country. Hehir pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court. Mr Justice Robert Eagar sentenced him to seven years' imprisonment for the rape, suspending the final 18 months on condition of participation in a sexual offender programme and good behaviour for three years after release. He also received five years' imprisonment for each sexual assault, all concurrent and back‑dated to 21 November when Hehir entered custody. The court heard the victim was 16 at the time of the first assault and that she endured repeated sexual contact, including rape, over the period. Hehir had no prior convictions.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, retired surgeon Michael Shine, aged 86, pleaded not guilty to thirteen charges of indecent assault. Witnesses testified that Shine groped and stroked the privates of teenage patients during medical examinations at Our Lady of Lourdes hospital in Drogheda and at two private clinics. One witness, aged 13 in 1971, described how Shine asked him to pull up his shirt and trousers, pressed around a wound, then fondled his testicles and stroked his penis while claiming to check for damage. A second witness, also 13 in 1975, recounted a similar incident at Lourdes hospital, where Shine examined his testicles, then masturbated his penis for 10–15 minutes. Both witnesses said they felt embarrassed and left the rooms quickly. The trial is set to continue tomorrow before Judge Martin Nolan and a jury.
A 55‑year‑old man pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal to ten indecent assault charges for sexually abusing his younger brother between 1982 and 1985. The abuse involved oral rape, touching the brother's penis and forcing him to masturbate. The accused was aged 18‑21 while the victim was 11‑14. The victim recalled the abuse occurring mainly on Sunday nights, sometimes twice a week, and that it ended in September 1985 when the brother left Ireland. The accused has lived abroad for over 30 years, is married with two children and has no prior convictions. He read a victim impact statement in court, expressing shame and acknowledging the harm caused. A forensic psychologist assessed him as low risk of re‑offending. Judge Melanie Greally remanded him on continuing bail until sentencing in February. The case is set for sentencing next month.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, an 86‑year‑old surgeon, Michael Shine, faced thirteen indecent assault charges linked to examinations at Our Lady of Lourdes hospital and two private Drogheda clinics. A male witness, aged 10 when first examined, recounted that Shine asked him to undress to his underpants, examined his throat, torso and abdomen, then groped his genitals, describing the act as a prolonged, painful experience. The witness claimed Shine also performed a rectal examination, inserting a gloved finger and again touching his genitals. He reported that after a later surgery for a wound, Shine repeatedly examined the wound while touching his genitals. The witness said he was 19 in 1982 when he woke to find Shine's hand on his penis, describing it as "masturbating me." The trial, with a jury, continued under Judge Martin Nolan. The witness had previously pursued civil action, concluding in 2012. The surgeon pleaded not guilty.
The Court of Appeal has ruled that a man, Faisal Ellahi, 37, must be given convincing evidence before being granted extra time to appeal his conviction for raping a young woman with Down Syndrome. Ellahi was found guilty by a jury at the Central Criminal Court after a five‑week trial and sentenced to 13 years' imprisonment in March 2016. He admitted "sexual contact" but denied penetrative sex, claiming he was unaware of the victim's mental impairment. Ellahi lodged an appeal one year and seven months after the conviction, outside the 28‑day limit, and the Director of Public Prosecutions opposed extending the time. The Court of Appeal, presided over by Mr Justice George Birmingham, said the papers filed by Ellahi did not identify any core issue for a potential appeal and that the grounds were not adequate to justify an extension of time.
A 45‑year‑old man was jailed for seven years after pleading guilty to defilement, sexual exploitation of a child and three sexual assault charges involving a 13‑year‑old girl between September 2014 and August 2015. He had been in a relationship with the girl's mother at the time and had six prior convictions, including a 1993 sexual assault. A relative discovered an inappropriate app on the girl's phone in 2015, containing disturbing pictures and texts, and notified Gardaí. The girl reported that the man initially acted as a father figure but later kissed and touched her, claiming the contact was due to her "hormonal urges." He denied sending sexualised texts, but phone analysis confirmed he had sent such messages, including "Hi, how are you, I'm horny." He admitted the girl performed oral sex on him once but could not detail other incidents because of his alcohol consumption.
A 37‑year‑old man was sentenced to five years' imprisonment, with the last two years suspended, for raping his wife in their Dublin home on 30 August 2015. He was convicted in July 2016 after a trial at the Central Criminal Court. The court found him not guilty of assault causing harm to the woman. He denied all charges but later accepted the jury verdict and apologised to his wife. During the assault he ripped her clothes and covered her face to stop her from screaming. The wife, who lives with their two children and her mother‑in‑law, has repeatedly stated that she forgives her husband and does not want him to go to prison. She has written several statements to the court and Gardaí, expressing forgiveness and regret for bringing the case, and describing her husband as a good father with a good heart. The unnamed man was acquitted.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, 86‑year‑old retired surgeon Michael Shine pleaded not guilty to thirteen charges of indecent assault against seven teenage boys. The allegations stem from medical examinations at Our Lady of Lourdes hospital in Drogheda and two private clinics. One complainant, aged 14 in 1972, recounted that Shine, who had been his consultant for a knee operation, would visit his room in the evening to play chess and then groped and fondled his genitals, pulling down his trousers and stroking his penis. The boy said Shine justified the conduct by claiming it was a way to "tell a lot." Another complainant, aged 15, alleged that during an examination for a torn foreskin, Shine masturbated him for five to ten minutes and squeezed his penis, after which the boy felt shocked and did not return for a recommended circumcision. Both complainants are also involved in civil actions against Shine.
The trial of retired surgeon Michael Shine, 86, accused of indecently assaulting seven boys during medical examinations at Our Lady of Lourdes hospital in Drogheda and two private clinics, has been adjourned because a juror is unavailable. Shine pleaded not guilty to thirteen charges. The case will resume next Monday before Judge Martin Nolan and a jury.
In 2013 a 58‑year‑old man broke into his ex‑partner's home in Cork, armed with a hatchet, and raped her for five hours, threatening to kill her and cutting her hair with scissors. He initially denied the attack but later pleaded guilty. In October 2013 Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan sentenced him to ten years, suspending the last three on the condition of good behaviour for ten years and participation in the "Better Lives" sex‑offender treatment programme. The man has no prior convictions. The DPP applied to the Central Criminal Court to revoke the suspension, arguing he had not fully engaged in the programme. A senior probation officer reported that the offender denied many aspects of his conduct and had not progressed sufficiently in offence disclosure work. Mr Justice Paul McDermott noted the offender had cleared the first stage of the programme but struggled at the next level.
A man convicted of raping his daughter between 2006 and 2010 in County Mayo and abroad has appealed his conviction at the Court of Appeal. The 47-year-old was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment, with the final year suspended, following his conviction at the Central Criminal Court in February 2018. The appeal centres on events after the trial, when the victim visited her father in prison and subsequently sent a Facebook message to his relatives indicating willingness to sign an affidavit and withdraw charges. Defence counsel argued the prison visit undermined her trial evidence that she was in grave danger from him, and claimed she had recanted her testimony. The victim told the court she was manipulated by her father's relatives, who pressured her by stating he was starving himself and would die, placing responsibility on her shoulders. She clarified in a sworn affidavit that she had not recanted her allegations. The Director of Public Prosecutions' counsel argued the victim, a vulnerable person in State care, had been subjected to invidious manipulation. The unnamed 47-year-old pleaded not guilty.
The trial of Dr Michael Shine, 86, began at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 17 January 2019. He faces thirteen charges of indecent assault alleged to have occurred during medical examinations at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda and two private clinics. The first complainant, a 15‑year‑old patient, testified that after a finger surgery in 1988 he was asked to stand in the examination room, where Shine groped his genitals while resting his head on the boy's chest. The boy described feeling terrified and confused, and that Shine's breathing became "creepy." A second complainant, 13 at the time of a testicular surgery in 1985, recounted that Shine examined a scar on his scrotum, then touched his penis and moved the foreskin, leaving him confused. Both complainants said they later brought a third party to subsequent appointments. The case is set to continue before Judge Martin Nolan and a jury. Michael Shine pleaded not guilty.
A 50‑year‑old man was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment, with the final six months suspended, for 22 offences of sexual abuse, oral rape, child sexual exploitation and attempted rape committed between October 2009 and July 2011 in his Dublin family home. The victim, aged 13 to 15 at the time, was abused for three years while a young teenager. She testified that the abuse left her feeling "killed inside" and described ongoing psychological harm. The judge noted the man's manipulation, control and failure to fulfil his paternal duties, and ordered him to engage with the Probation Service for six months upon release. The man denied all allegations, claimed the victim fabricated the story, and has not expressed remorse. He has prior convictions for handling stolen property and fraud and has been in custody since 2017. The court suspended the final six months of the term, taking into account his good work history.
In a 2019 court hearing, Gardaí investigated alleged Facebook threats made by a 38‑year‑old UK businessman, who was convicted in March 2019 of three counts of rape and eight counts of sexual assault against two girls aged 10 and 12, committed between December 2010 and March 2011. The businessman, who groomed the children in the UK and later brought them to Ireland, was found to have sexually assaulted the older girl in a Dublin hotel room in December 2010. At the Central Criminal Court sentence hearing in July, the defendant maintained his innocence and disputed the verdicts. Prosecutor Pauline Walley presented evidence that the defendant had created false Facebook accounts to claim innocence and allegedly threatened a complainant via Facebook in April. Gardaí, assisted by US and UK authorities, were conducting a detailed investigation. The judge adjourned the matter to 12 April.
A 35‑year‑old man was sentenced to nine years in prison, with the final two years suspended, for raping his 14‑year‑old step‑daughter while he was babysitting her and her younger brother. He had given the girl alcohol and later admitted buying it. The court heard that the girl woke to find the man on top of her, that she resisted by scratching his face, and that he forced her to perform oral sex before raping her. He pleaded guilty to rape and oral rape. The judge noted the pre‑calculation and the man's "disgraceful behaviour" in procuring drink, and described the suffocating nature of the assault. The suspended portion of the sentence was conditioned on the man attending the Better Lives Programme, remaining alcohol‑free, and not living in a house with a child under 18 or having unsupervised contact with any child without prior approval.
Tony Walsh, aged 64, was sentenced by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to five years' imprisonment for indecently assaulting a teenage boy in 1983. The sentence was partially suspended: the final 18 months were suspended for two years on the condition that Walsh keep the peace, behave well and engage with probation services after release. Walsh, a former "Singing Priest" from North Circular Road, Dublin, has 14 prior sex‑related convictions from the mid‑1970s to the mid‑1980s, including a seven‑and‑a‑half‑year term for raping another boy three times in the 1980s. He pleaded guilty, and the judge noted aggravating factors such as the seriousness of the offence, the victim's age and the breach of trust, while mitigating factors included his guilty plea, age, apology and prior 13‑year imprisonment. The sentence was back‑dated to 17 July, the day Walsh entered his plea.
Patrick Nevin, 37, will be sentenced in May for a series of sexual offences that occurred over eleven days after meeting victims on Tinder. He attacked three women, one of whom he raped in Bellewstown, Co. Meath, and another whom he sexually assaulted in an unknown location in Co. Meath. Nevin also received a five‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence for the sexual assault of a Brazilian woman he met on Tinder in 2014. The court adjourned sentencing to May 13, pending a pre‑sentence probation report, a prison governor's report and a forensic psychiatric report. Nevin pleaded guilty to the rape and assault charges, citing remorse and apologising to the victims. He is remanded in custody awaiting the May hearing. The judge noted that the public may attend the sentencing hearing. The case is currently delayed until the required reports are obtained.
A 37‑year‑old man was sentenced by a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court jury to four years' imprisonment, with the final 18 months suspended, for sexually assaulting his 15‑year‑old daughter while she was napping in a bed he shared with his partner. The court heard that the man had pleaded not guilty to one count of sexual assault at an address in Dublin on 26 July 2015, and that this was the second time the case had gone to trial. He had told Gardaí he was "groggy" when he went to bed with the two girls and had mistaken his daughter for his partner. The victim's impact report, read by Karl Finnegan BL, described how the girl had looked up to her father as a child, felt jealous of her friends' relationships with their fathers, and after the abuse felt dirty, could not sleep and found it hard to trust others. The unnamed 37-year-old was convicted.
In December 2018, a 35‑year‑old man was jailed for four years after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting his partner while she slept. The assault occurred on 14 April 2016 at a Dublin house, following earlier admissions of rape and attempted anal rape in 2010 and 2011. The victim, who has a nine‑year‑old child with the man, reported that the man had tried to initiate sex when she was unwell, but she resisted and later discovered her leggings had been pulled down and she was being assaulted. She had previously been raped by the same man and had learned that the safest response was "nothing." The court noted her vulnerability and past abusive relationships. The judge imposed a four‑year sentence, with the final 18 months suspended on conditions including probation, a sex‑offender treatment programme, and addressing alcohol and addiction issues. The victim is receiving treatment for post‑traumatic stress and social reclusion.
A 76-year-old retired teacher, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, is appealing a High Court decision that refused to prohibit his trial on 16 charges of indecently assaulting eight male pupils in a south Dublin school between September 1968 and June 1969. A ninth pupil has also made similar allegations. The defendant, who denies the accusations, argued in the High Court that the deaths of 16 potential witnesses, including staff and inspectors, created a real risk of an unfair trial. Mr Justice Paul McDermott rejected this, finding the case not wholly exceptional. In the Court of Appeal, counsel Patrick Gageby SC submitted that the High Court judge devalued the loss of these irreplaceable witnesses, who could have described the classroom layout and the unlikelihood of the alleged abuse occurring in full view of others. He also highlighted a chronological inconsistency regarding a threat to raise the abuse on a television show that did not start until 1973. The Court of Appeal, comprising Mr Justice John Edwards, Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, and Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, reserved its judgment. The court acknowledged the age of the case and stated it would endeavour to deliver its decision as early as possible. The matter was adjourned, with a trial date fixed for April.
In Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 6 December 2018, a 64‑year‑old former soldier was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for sexually assaulting his niece and nephew. He pleaded guilty to three counts of assaulting a nephew aged five to seven between 1992 and 1994, and to three counts of assaulting a niece aged seven to nine between 1996 and 1998. The court heard the abuse occurred about twenty times a year while the victims stayed overnight at their grandmother's home, where the accused also lived. The sentence runs concurrently with a seven‑year term, 12 months suspended, that he had already received for the repeated rape of a different niece and great‑nephew. The judge condemned the "relentless regularity" of the abuse and noted the grooming, the long period over which the offences were committed, and the severe impact on the young victims.
Rafael Tiso, 33, was convicted of raping an intoxicated woman in a lane behind Harcourt Street, Dublin, on 18 January 2016. He pleaded guilty to rape, oral rape, aggravated sexual assault and assault causing harm. The victim, 23, suffered a deep tear to her rectum and could not recall the incident. Tiso was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment with the final year suspended on 1 November 2016. On appeal, the Court of Appeal reduced the term to 12‑and‑a‑half years, with the final 12 months suspended, citing the early guilty plea and the circumstances of his non‑national status. The appeal was heard by Mr Justice George Birmingham, Mr Justice John Edwards and Ms Justice Máire Whelan, and the final sentence was 12‑and‑a‑half years imprisonment with 12 months suspended. The case was completed within ten months.
In December 2018, a 49‑year‑old man from Clare raped his 17‑year‑old stepdaughter after deceiving her as an online stranger who claimed to possess compromising information. He threatened her with a sexually explicit video, demanded she produce more videos, and insisted she have sex with him. He pretended to help her by sending a video of himself masturbating, then threatened to expose his abuse unless she complied. The stepdaughter, fearing jail for her stepfather and wanting to protect her mother, pleaded to allow the sexual act, leading the man to rape her under the pretense of the threats. He pleaded guilty to rape in 2010 and to harassment from 2009 to 2010. The court imposed a ten‑year sentence, suspended the last two years, and required participation in a sex‑offender treatment programme. The stepdaughter, a foreign national, was placed in foster care after the abuse was revealed.
A man in his twenties has been sentenced to seven years imprisonment in absentia at the Central Criminal Court following his conviction for sexually abusing a young relative in Dublin. He was found guilty by unanimous jury verdict on fourteen counts of sexual assault occurring between 2008 and 2011, when the victim was aged five to eight years old. The defendant absconded just before the jury delivered its verdict in May and has remained at large since. A bench warrant for his arrest was issued, but gardaí have been unable to locate him. During sentencing proceedings last week, the court heard a victim impact statement from the now teenage complainant, describing ongoing psychological effects including sleep disturbance and difficulty attending school. The defendant, who had been arrested in Cavan on the allegations but made no admissions during interview, is believed to be homeless in Dublin city. Mr Justice Michael White noted the breach of trust involved and that the offences spanned several years, though acknowledged the defendant's youth as a mitigating factor. The unnamed 24-year-old pleaded not guilty.
Patrick Beauchamp, a 26‑year‑old Dublin student, was tried in a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for one count of sexual assault and two counts of assault causing harm. The jury deliberated for three hours and 14 minutes and returned verdicts of not guilty on the sexual assault and the first assault charge. They did not reach a verdict on the second assault charge, which alleged that Beauchamp punched another man on the street. Judge Patricia Ryan adjourned the matter to December 20, 2018, and instructed the jurors not to discuss the unresolved allegation. During the four‑day trial, the complainant testified that she and her friend had gone to Beauchamp's home after a night out, that she had no recollection of an assault, and that she woke to find Beauchamp and an acquaintance fighting. The acquaintance claimed that Beauchamp had head‑butted him after seeing him "humping" the complainant.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, former Waterford County Council worker Bartholomew Prendergast was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment for rape and indecent assault of three women, including sisters Stephanie Hickey (aged 12‑15 at the time of the offences) and Deirdre Fahy (aged 13‑14). He pleaded guilty to two counts of rape and thirteen counts of indecent assault against Hickey between 1983 and 1987, one count of indecent assault against Fahy between 1979 and 1981, and two counts of indecent assault against a third woman (now 39) between 1988 and 1991. The judge suspended the final 18 months of the sentence on strict conditions, requiring Prendergast to undergo a sex‑offender treatment programme and be supervised by the Probation Service for 18 months. The hearing highlighted the prolonged abuse that continued despite family intervention and a priest's counselling, and the profound impact on the victims' lives.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 30 November 2018, Judge Patricia Ryan instructed a jury of twelve to "get into the mind" of Patrick Beauchamp, a 26‑year‑old defendant from Ballsbridge. Beauchamp faced one count of sexual assault and two counts of assault causing harm for incidents that occurred at his home on 10 May 2015. He pleaded not guilty, denying the allegation that he had "humped" a sleeping woman and claiming he acted in self‑defence when he headbutted the woman's acquaintance and later punched him on the street. The judge explained that a belief in self‑defence need only be honest, not wholly justified, and that the force used must be reasonably necessary. She also urged the jury to consider whether an opportunity to retreat existed, while reminding them that the prosecution bore the burden of proof and that sympathy could not influence their verdict.
Patrick Beauchamp, 26, is on trial in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for one count of sexual assault and two counts of assault causing harm. He is accused of assaulting a woman he met at Copper Face Jack's nightclub, who allegedly was put on her couch and had a hand placed under her dress. She claims she fell asleep and had no recollection, but a friend testified that Beauchamp was on top of her and "humping" her with his pants down. The friend also said Beauchamp head‑butted him after the friend warned him, "If that was my sister I'd kill you." Beauchamp denies the assault, claiming he was acting in self‑defence and that the woman was not asleep. Garda Tara Power testified that she saw Beauchamp punch the friend in the face. The trial will continue tomorrow afternoon. Patrick Beauchamp pleaded not guilty.
In November 2015 a 46‑year‑old Limerick man, who had molested a girl aged six to nine over three years, contacted her again on Instagram. The girl, now 16, screamed that he was back, prompting her parents to notify Gardaí. The man had pleaded not guilty to 19 counts of sexual assault between 2009 and 2012. At the Central Criminal Court he was convicted of six counts of sexual assault and two of sexual exploitation. Justice Tara Burns described the abuse as extremely serious, noting the man had gained the victim's trust through domestic help and teaching her to ride a bicycle. She imposed a seven‑year prison term for the most serious assault, concurrent six‑year and four‑year sentences for other assaults, and a two‑year sentence for exploitation. The judge praised the victim's courage and highlighted the lasting impact on her trust and innocence.