A rape trial in Dublin collapsed after a newspaper article in the Irish Independent suggested the defendant was guilty and the complainant a victim. The trial, which had run for six days, was at its closing stages when the article appeared. Mr Justice Paul McDermott granted the defendant's application to discharge the jury, stating the article "came close to scandalising the court" and that it juxtaposed an ongoing trial with public opinion, implying unfairness. He warned that the publication could undermine the defendant's right to a fair trial and that the jury could not be asked to disregard the article. The judge noted the trial had been conducted professionally and that the article's criticism of the trial process was unacceptable. The case was therefore dismissed, with the defendant awaiting a potential retrial.
A 26‑year‑old Limerick man pleaded guilty to raping a 19‑year‑old woman on 5 November 2015. The victim had ended a brief relationship with the defendant's brother a few weeks earlier and had agreed to go to the defendant's house, where she was raped. The defendant also faces charges of intimidation and perverting the course of justice. After the rape, the defendant sent threatening Facebook messages to the victim's sisters, demanding they drop charges. The victim's sister reported the messages to Gardaí. In a victim impact statement, the woman said the rape altered her life, eroding her trust and leaving her fearful. Mr Justice White adjourned sentencing to 22 February, ordered a probation report, and imposed a condition that the defendant keep away from the victim's residence and have no contact with her by any means.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, a 68‑year‑old man was convicted of four counts of sexual assault against the daughter of his partner, who was 14 at the time. The offences occurred between January and December 1991, both in the man's shop and at his home. The judge, Pauline Codd, imposed a three‑year prison sentence, suspending the final year for one year on the condition that the defendant remains law‑abiding, behaves well, and engages with the Probation Service after release. The court noted that the victim and her mother lived above the shop, and that the defendant had taken on a step‑father role. The judge cited the breach of trust, the victim's age, and the traumatic impact as aggravating factors, while the defendant's lack of prior convictions, advanced age, and serious health issues were mitigating. The victim delivered a victim impact statement describing the abuse as having an enormous effect on her life.
A man has been convicted of sexually assaulting a six-year-old girl at a Dublin mosque. Abdur Rashid, aged 50, was found guilty by jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of a single count of sexual assault occurring in December 2015. The accused, a former resident of Carrick-on-Shannon in Leitrim who later lived in Dublin, had pleaded not guilty to the charge. Judge Pauline Codd sentenced him to 18 months imprisonment, with the final four months suspended for one year on condition he complies with Probation Services directions and maintains good behaviour. The child's mother discovered the assault when collecting her daughter from the school. Evidence revealed the accused displayed an "unhealthy interest" in the child prior to the incident. The victim subsequently experienced anxiety, nightmares and school avoidance. The judge described the offence as a "gross exploitation of the innocence of a very young child" and noted aggravating factors including the victim's age and breach of the teacher-student relationship. The sentence was backdated to January 2018.
Leona O'Callaghan, 37, addressed the court and said that Patrick O'Dea, 51, who is also known as "Whacker", raped her when she was 13 in 1994 and 1995. O'Dea pleaded guilty to sexual assault and rape. O'Dea isolated O'Callaghan from friends, manipulated her, and told her that the bleeding was a sign of virginity being broken. O'Callaghan described the physical pain, the use of a basin of ice, and the long‑term mental anguish, including self‑harm and suicidal attempts. She said the abuse affected her later relationships and her children. Judge Deirdre Murphy sentenced O'Dea to 18½ years, suspended the last 18 months on condition of treatment, and imposed a three‑year post‑release supervision order. O'Callaghan concluded that O'Dea did not win.
Patrick Nevin, aged 37, is set to be sentenced for two rape offences committed after meeting victims on Tinder in July 2014. He pleaded guilty to raping a woman in Bellewstown and sexually assaulting another in County Meath. Both victims testified that Nevin had convinced them to meet for a drive, then raped them in secluded locations. The first victim described feeling "tainted, dirty and stupid" and said the attack altered her life. The second victim recounted being forced into sexual acts and later experiencing severe anxiety. Nevin's prior convictions include assault on a former partner in 2001 and a firearms offence in 2012. He remains in custody awaiting sentencing on 17 December, with the court considering his guilty pleas and expressions of remorse. The court heard that Nevin had completed education while in custody and had worked as a software engineer.
Patrick O'Dea, aged 52, was sentenced to 18½ years in prison for raping and repeatedly sexually assaulting a teenage girl, Leona O'Callaghan, who was aged 12 to 14 at the time of the offences. O'Dea pleaded guilty to charges of sexual assault and rape committed in 1994 and 1995. He had 42 prior convictions, including a sexual assault of a girl under ten, and had previously received a 15‑year sentence for multiple rapes and assaults of a single girl between 1998 and 2004. The judge suspended the last 18 months of the sentence, recognising his guilty plea and willingness to undertake a psychological assessment, and imposed a three‑year post‑release supervision order. O'Dea was required to participate in the "Building Better Lives" sex‑offender treatment programme. The court noted the severe psychological damage inflicted on Ms O'Callaghan, who had made three suicide attempts, and highlighted O'Dea's pattern of offences against young girls.
A Dublin man has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison for defilement and a concurrent one-year term for child sexual exploitation. The unnamed defendant, who was 23 at the time of the offences, was convicted by a jury at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on four charges of defilement and one charge of sexual exploitation of a child. The offences occurred between September 2012 and February 2014, when the victim, now 21, was aged 15. The court heard that the victim was living with her grandmother due to her parents' inability to care for her, and that the pair had sexual relations on multiple occasions. Evidence included text messages in which the victim expressed that the relationship was wrong because he was her cousin. Judge Elma Sheahan noted the significant age disparity and the breach of trust, stating the defendant was in a stable position and should have known better. Although the man accepted the jury's verdict, he offered no apology or remorse. The judge declined to suspend any portion of the sentence, citing his lack of insight into the harm caused. The victim's impact statement described a loss of stability and peace of mind, while an investigating garda stated the case had ripped the family apart.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a 61‑year‑old man was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment for raping a 39‑year‑old woman, the younger sister of a victim he had previously raped. The court noted that the victim was a vulnerable woman who had endured abuse from multiple family members, including her father, uncle, and grandfather. She had been raped by the defendant in her bedroom when she was either 10 or 12 years old, an act that left her physically injured and emotionally scarred. The defendant had moved into the family home in 1988 and had been in a relationship with the victim's mother for eight years. He pleaded guilty to the charge, and the sentence was back‑dated to the date of his arrest in March 2017. The court highlighted the defendant's guilty plea, age, and expressed remorse as mitigating factors.
Tony Walsh, a former "singing" priest aged 64, will be sentenced in December for indecently assaulting a teenage boy in 1983. He has already been serving a seven‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence for raping another boy three times in the 1980s, with a crucifix used in one of those assaults. Walsh pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the 1983 charge. Garda John Barrett described the incident: the boy, who had been drunk, woke up naked and in pain with Walsh on top of him in a single bed; Walsh allegedly inserted his penis into the boy's anus for a "split second". The victim reported a "stabbing pain" and later turned to drinking. A victim impact report was filed but not read. Walsh's defence argued that his guilty plea spared the victim from testifying and highlighted a long delay in the case.
A man convicted in February of sexually assaulting and raping his daughter in County Mayo between 2006 and 2010 has brought a motion before the Court of Appeal seeking to adduce new evidence. The Central Criminal Court had sentenced the 47-year-old to fifteen years imprisonment, with the final year suspended, after finding him guilty of multiple offences committed when the complainant was aged seven to eleven. At the Court of Appeal hearing, the accused's counsel submitted that the victim subsequently recanted her evidence, allegedly admitting she had told lies during trial. Evidence was heard from the man's former solicitor corroborating claims of such an admission. The victim was scheduled to give evidence via video link but had left the jurisdiction and would not be available for cross-examination. The three-judge court ordered her evidence to be heard on 11 January next. The defence challenged the trial judge's conduct, contending that the complainant received unfair preferential treatment. The hearing resumes before Mr Justice John Edwards, Ms Justice Máire Whelan and Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy. The unnamed 47-year-old pleaded not guilty.
Joseph O'Connor, 58, pleaded not guilty to five counts of possession of child pornography at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Gardaí seized a Dell laptop from his west Dublin home during an August 2011 search. The laptop contained 12 videos depicting boys under ten and between ten and seventeen in explicit sexual acts, including with a male adult. O'Connor denied downloading or viewing the material, claiming it was uploaded by someone else and that his laptop was unsecured and used by visitors. He alleged a man who had visited his home the night before the seizure had corrupted the computer. O'Connor also recounted a separate incident involving a man who stole his Garda ID and €20, which led to a confrontation and a subsequent complaint to the Garda Ombudsman. The court heard that an Inspector Fox investigation found no evidence of rape or sexual assault, attributing alleged injuries to consensual acts. The case remains at the trial stage.
A 41‑year‑old woman who had taken a summer job looking after animals on local farms to prepare for a future as a vet was raped by John Phelan, 54, between 1992 and 1993 when she was aged 14 to 16. Phelan pleaded guilty to four sexual assault charges and two rapes at his home and other locations in Laois. He had previously served seven years for raping a girl aged nine to 11 in 1989 and 1990. At sentencing, the judge noted Phelan's false claim of no sexual preference for minors and described the abuse as calculated and exploitative. Phelan was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment, with 18 months suspended, and ordered to serve three years of post‑release supervision. The victim's impact statement highlighted how the abuse ended her dreams of becoming a vet and left her with lasting trauma.
The Court of Appeal has refused an application by an unnamed 45-year-old man for an extension of time to appeal his sentence. The defendant, whose identity is protected to preserve victim anonymity, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to representative counts of rape, sexual assault, and anal rape committed between 1989 and 2001. He was sentenced to consecutive terms totalling 14 years on November 11, 2016, for abusing three young relatives. His counsel, Roderick O'Hanlon SC, argued the client intended to appeal within the 28-day window but was overwhelmed by the sentencing process and incarceration. However, the application was lodged in March 2018, approximately 16 months late. President of the Court of Appeal, Mr Justice George Birmingham, sitting with Mr Justice John Edwards and Ms Justice Máire Whelan, rejected the request. The court held that the victims were entitled to closure and that reopening the case so long after the fact would deny them the ability to move forward. The judges noted that no discrete grounds of appeal were identified beyond a formulaic claim that the sentence was severe. The panel emphasized the public interest in finality and the necessity of allowing victims to put the matters behind them, thereby refusing the extension of time.
Oliver Berry, aged 61, was convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury of 104 counts of raping and sexually assaulting his daughter Jennifer Berry, aged 7 to 19, between December 1982 and December 1994. The offences included repeated rape during her pregnancy and a final rape two weeks after she gave birth, when her infant son was present. Berry pleaded not guilty but was found guilty. He received a ten‑year prison sentence. Berry maintains his innocence and intends to appeal. Jennifer Berry, who waived anonymity, gave evidence in the trial and described the abuse as ongoing, physically and psychologically damaging. The judge noted Berry's age and health in sentencing and highlighted the impact on family bonds. No further legal outcomes are reported in the article.
A man convicted in February of multiple counts of rape and sexual assault against his daughter has opened an appeal against his conviction in the Court of Appeal. The 47-year-old was sentenced to fifteen years imprisonment, with the final year suspended, following trial at the Central Criminal Court. The offences, which occurred between 2006 and 2010 in County Mayo and abroad, involved the complainant when she was between seven and eleven years old. The accused maintains his innocence and had pleaded not guilty to all charges. His counsel is seeking to adduce new evidence concerning an alleged recantation by the complainant. The appeal also raises grounds including claims of procedural unfairness during trial, cross-examination length, and challenges to certain evidentiary rulings. The Director of Public Prosecutions will respond to these submissions. The hearing continues before three Court of Appeal judges.
A 54‑year‑old Dublin man was sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to a partially suspended 18‑month prison term for five counts of indecent assault committed between 1979 and 1981 when the victim was a child aged six to eight. The judge, Cormac Quinn, imposed 18 months for each count, to run concurrently, and suspended the final nine months of each sentence on the condition that the offender remain law‑abiding, exhibit good behaviour for 12 months after release, and be supervised by the Probation Service. The court heard that the offender, aged 15 to 17 at the time, dragged the victim by her hair into his bedroom, forced her to undress, licked her legs up to her genitals, and on occasions attempted to insert his penis into her vagina or mouth. He also threw darts at her, sometimes striking her. The unnamed man pleaded guilty.
In a Dublin court, a 52‑year‑old man was sentenced to 18 years in prison, with the final three years suspended, for a series of sexual offences against his daughter, who is now 17. He pleaded guilty to 21 charges, including rape, attempted rape, anal rape and other sexual assaults that spanned from 2006 to 2017. The court heard that the abuse began when the girl was between four and seven years old and continued through multiple moves, involving inappropriate touching, forced sexual acts and repeated rapes almost daily. The father described himself as a "partner by night" and claimed he had viewed his daughter inappropriately. He admitted to giving her alcohol and smoking cannabis during some incidents. The judge noted the profound breach of trust and the father's remorse, ordering him to undergo the Better Lives treatment programme while serving the sentence. The case highlighted the severe impact on the victim's physical and psychological well-being.
Eoin Berkley, 25, was sentenced to 14 years' imprisonment for abducting a teenage Spanish student from Dublin city centre and raping her repeatedly over a 21‑hour period. The offences, committed between 15 and 16 July 2017 at the Irish Glass Bottle Company site, involved three separate rapes, false imprisonment, threats to kill and 19 incidents of violence or intimidation. The judge, Mr Justice Michael White, imposed concurrent 14‑year sentences for each rape, back‑dated to 31 July 2017, and added a three‑year post‑release supervision period. Berkley's history of mental health difficulties and prior convictions was noted, but the court emphasised the premeditated nature of the crimes and the severe degradation inflicted on the victim. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the assaults and the threat posed to the victim's life and safety.
John Daly (58), the appellant, pleaded guilty to five acts of gross indecency with a mentally impaired person on unknown dates between 2016 and 2017. The matter is at the appeal stage, where Judge Melanie Greally addressed the sentencing. Prosecution evidence, presented by Lisa Dempsey BL, alleged that Daly threatened the complainant with death and burning if he did not comply with the acts, which included rubbing his penis over the male and performing oral sex. Daly claimed during interview that the behavior was consensual. Defense counsel Luigi Rea BL submitted that Daly has an intellectual disability and that his guilty plea was valuable to the investigation. Judge Greally noted Daly's significant and concerning record of sexual misconduct, including a prior six-year sentence from the Court of Criminal Appeal in 2000 for rape and other sexual crimes, and a partially suspended four-year sentence served for assaulting two teenage girls in 2011. The judge imposed an 18-month sentence for one of the latest charges. Daly was remanded in custody until next year, when the court will deal with the remaining four counts on the indictment. The matter was adjourned for the sentencing of the remaining charges.
A 61-year-old man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of his victim, pleaded guilty to one charge of rape at a family home in Co Galway on an unknown date between 1989 and 1991. The defendant is currently serving a sentence for raping the victim's older sister, for which he was sentenced in 2015 to 12 years in prison with the final two years suspended. The Central Criminal Court heard that the now 39-year-old victim, who is described as vulnerable and living in England, was abused by four men, including her uncle, grandfather, and father. The court was told the victim felt unable to attend or provide a victim impact statement due to severe depression and anxiety. The defendant, who is originally from Dublin, made full admissions when arrested in prison in March 2017. A psychological report indicated he was below average intelligence and emotionally detached. Mr Justice Michael White adjourned sentencing to November 13 to allow time to consider the case. The matter was adjourned and has not been concluded.
A 64‑year‑old former soldier was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment, with the last year suspended, for repeatedly raping his niece and grand‑nephew. He pleaded guilty to four counts of oral rape of his niece between January 1991 and September 1992, and to four counts of oral rape of his grand‑nephew between February 2002 and December 2004. The victims were as young as eight when the assaults began. The judge noted the offender's voluntary surrender to Gardaí, early guilty plea, and attempts at sex‑offending intervention, and considered his prior good military record as mitigating factors. The sentence was reduced from an initial nine‑year recommendation. The offender was ordered to continue counselling and to keep the peace for three years. The victims' impact statements described lasting emotional distress, panic attacks, PTSD, and suicidal ideation. The court did not find the offences to be in the most serious range.
In a 2011 burglary at Botanic Avenue, a 22‑year‑old ringleader forced a student to be taken to an ATM, threatening the student's girlfriend with rape if the student did not comply. The offender, who pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary, robbery and false imprisonment, was sentenced to six years' detention in 2012. In 2015 the Court of Appeal suspended the final 12 months of that sentence, but in 2018 the Court reactivated 10½ months of the suspended portion, extending the offender's custodial period. The decision was based on the offender's lack of cooperation with probation and the need for rehabilitation, as the Court noted the offender's youth and prior convictions. The reactivation was a response to the Probation Service's application and the Court's assessment of the offender's continued risk. The case remains a matter of ongoing custodial sentencing.
Joseph Anderson, 71, who worked for the 1990s anti‑drugs newsletter "The Shrew", had his 2016 conviction for 12 counts of sexual assault and one count of oral rape of a boy aged 12‑15 between August 1992 and May 1995 upheld by the Court of Appeal on 26 October 2018. Anderson, who had no prior convictions, was found guilty by a jury at the Central Criminal Court and sentenced to six years' imprisonment by Mr Justice Paul Butler. He appealed the conviction and the sentence, arguing that the victim's repeated return to his house contradicted the abuse claim. The Court of Appeal, with Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, dismissed both appeals, stating the trial was satisfactory and the conviction safe. The court also rejected the Director of Public Prosecutions' request for a review of the sentence on grounds of undue leniency. The unnamed man pleaded not guilty.
Patrick Byrnes, 78, of Castletroy, Limerick, was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court after being convicted by a jury last July of 58 charges of indecent assault and two counts of rape. The offences, which occurred between 1975 and 1985, involved the sexual abuse of his two daughters when they were approximately seven years old. Byrnes denied all charges and maintains his innocence. Mr Justice Paul McDermott noted the victims lived in abject fear and were left broken by the decade-long abuse, which included instances where Byrnes encouraged a family dog to participate in sexual acts. The judge acknowledged Byrnes' health conditions, including heart disease and osteoarthritis, but stated these could be managed in prison. Citing a lack of remorse and refusal to admit responsibility, the judge identified Byrnes' age as the only mitigating factor. He set a headline sentence of nine years for rape and six years for sexual assault, reducing both by one year due to age. All sentences run concurrently. The judge suspended the final two years of the sentence on the condition that Byrnes is not in the company of any woman under the age of 18 unless accompanied by another adult. The complainants waived anonymity to ensure Byrnes was named, stating they will never forgive him.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, Eoin Berkley, 25, admitted to raping an 18‑year‑old Spanish student at the Irish Glass Bottle Company site between 15 and 16 July 2017. The victim, who had come to Ireland to improve her English, was tied up, threatened with death, and raped three times over a 21‑hour period. Berkley used a dog leash to bind her hands, threatened to cut her hands off, and gave her tablets before abusing her. He told her he would not kill her until Monday and threatened to throw a rock at her head if she tried to escape. The victim escaped when Berkley fell asleep on the beach. Medical tests found morphine, codeine and cannabis in her body; she suffered bruising and required medication for months. Berkley's prior convictions include unlawful possession of knives and firearms, threatening and abusive behaviour.
The 65‑year‑old former Roman Catholic priest, who had been defrocked and was already serving a seven‑year sentence for sexually abusing a boy, was given an eight‑year consecutive sentence by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy on 15 May 2017 for six counts of oral rape, defilement and sexual assault of a boy aged 10‑11 at his home between 2005 and 2006. The abuse began shortly after the priest's earlier offence ended in 2006. On appeal, the Court of Appeal, led by Mr Justice George Birmingham, found an error in the sentencing judge's remarks that had led to a 15‑year total sentence. The court reduced the eight‑year term to six years, leaving a total of 13 years in prison. The priest had initially made inappropriate remarks about the victim's puberty, encouraged him to look up sexual subjects online, and progressed to fondling, oral rape and sexual assault in his house, the presbytery and a car. The unnamed 65-year-old was found guilty.
Michael Moloney, aged 40, was sentenced by the Central Criminal Court to ten years' imprisonment for the rape of his stepdaughter, with the final two and a half years suspended. He also received a concurrent seven‑year term for eight counts of sexual abuse, with the final three and a half years suspended. Moloney pleaded guilty to the sexual abuse charges, which covered incidents from 2009 to 2015, and admitted to more than 15 abuses between the victim's ages of 10 and 17. He had previously pleaded not guilty to the rape charge, but later accepted responsibility. The victim, who had waived anonymity, described the abuse as persistent and damaging to her trust in family and her sense of safety. Moloney's sentencing was delivered by Ms Justice Deirdre Murphy, who noted his remorse and good employment history. The case concluded with Moloney's conviction and imprisonment, with no further legal actions reported in the article.
An 86-year-old man from Arva, County Cavan, has received an eight-year suspended sentence at the Central Criminal Court for the sexual abuse of two siblings spanning the period 1958 to 1963. John Joe Kiernan pleaded guilty to eleven sample counts of indecent assault and one count of rape. The offences occurred on or near the victims' family farmland where Kiernan worked as a farm labourer. Mr Justice Michael White imposed sentences totalling eight years for rape and seven years for indecent assaults, suspending all sentences entirely on condition that Kiernan keep the peace. The judge cited Kiernan's advanced age and serious ill-health as factors against imposing custody. The court heard the victims, now in their sixties, came forward in 2017. Kiernan had previously served a five-year sentence in 2005 for separate sexual offences committed between 1963 and 1973.
A 32‑year‑old Dublin man pleaded guilty in July 2018 to six counts of sexual assault against four of his young female cousins, one of whom was four years old at the time. The offences, which occurred between 2000 and 2006 at various Dublin addresses, were brought to light after a sleepover in December 2014 when the cousins reported the abuse to their parents. Gardaí then investigated further allegations from other cousins. The victims, now aged 26, 21 and 20, gave victim impact statements describing how the family was once close but has since been torn apart. The man, who has no prior convictions, was remanded on bail for sentencing on 31 October, with the court noting his psychological vulnerability and willingness to participate in rehabilitation programmes.
In 2018, a 53‑year‑old travelling salesman was jailed for five years after being convicted of raping a 24‑year‑old mother‑of‑one in County Cork on 2 August 2015. The victim had been a former employee of the salesman's business. The man had previously received a two‑year suspended sentence in 2014 for sexually assaulting a 19‑year‑old woman in 2011. At the Central Criminal Court, a jury found him guilty by majority verdict. Judge Paul McDermott set a headline sentence of six years but reduced it to five years, citing the man's lack of remorse and the hardship his imprisonment would cause to his ageing mother. The sentence was back‑dated to 19 July, the day he was taken into custody. Upon completion, he must serve two years of probation, attend counselling for alcohol and sexual offending, and may not contact the victim directly or indirectly.
James Cronin, a 36‑year‑old rapist serving a burglary sentence, was given an additional two‑year term for threatening to burn down a prison officer's house at Arbour Hill Prison. He told the officer he knew where she lived and would set her home alight if she refused to serve him tobacco at the prison tuck shop. The court noted that prisoners have scheduled times to use the tuck shop and that Cronin had lied about being unable to attend his slot a day later. Garda Redmond O'Leary said this was the first time the officer felt compelled to report the threat, despite 17 years of similar incidents. Judge Melanie Greally described the threat as "sufficiently menacing and convincing" and imposed a two‑year sentence with nine months suspended, citing Cronin's history of mental health issues and prior convictions for false imprisonment, rape, attempted rape, sexual assault and burglary.".
At the Central Criminal Court, Mr Justice Michael White commended two siblings from Arva, County Cavan for their "unbelievable courage" in reporting childhood sexual abuse to gardaí in 2017, more than five decades after the offences occurred. John Joe Kiernan, aged 86 and from Forthill, Arva, pleaded guilty to six sample counts of indecent assault against one victim between 1958 and 1963, five sample counts against his younger sister during 1959 to 1963, and rape of the girl between 1959 and 1964. The offences took place on or near the family farmland where Kiernan worked as a labourer. Both victims, now in their sixties, provided impact statements describing lasting trauma. The judge described certain threats made by Kiernan as "spine chilling" and noted the brutality of the offending. Kiernan had been previously imprisoned in 2005 for similar offences. Sentencing was adjourned pending further consideration.
Joseph Anderson, a former contributor to the anti‑drugs newsletter The Shrew, is awaiting the result of an appeal against his conviction and sentence for sexual offences committed between August 1992 and May 1995. He was 71 at the time of the appeal, lives in Powers Court, Mount St. Lower, Dublin, and had pleaded not guilty to twelve counts of sexual assault and one count of oral rape involving a boy aged 12 to 15. A jury at the Central Criminal Court found him guilty and he was sentenced to six years' imprisonment on 28 July 2016. Anderson's barrister, Patrick Gageby SC, argued that the boy's repeated visits to Anderson's home were not a legal consent and that the trial judge had misdirected the jury. The Director of Public Prosecutions, Bernard Condon SC, contended the sentence was unduly lenient and should have been higher.
The Court of Appeal has reduced the sentence of an unnamed 81-year-old man from seven years to five-and-a-half years. The defendant, who cannot be named to protect his victims, had previously pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to six sample counts of indecent and sexual assault. These counts were drawn from an indictment containing 18 sample counts detailing abuse inflicted over two distinct periods: between 1972 and 1978 against his adopted daughter, then aged eight to 14, and between 1997 and 2001 against his granddaughter, then aged four to eight. The original seven-year sentence was imposed by Judge Martin Nolan on July 24, 2015. The Court of Appeal has now cut this term to five-and-a-half years. The case emerged after the granddaughter sought counselling in 2013 and disclosed the abuse to her mother. The defendant subsequently admitted the offences to the girl's father and later to a priest during confession, who advised him to report the matters to the gardaí. The man voluntarily went to a garda station to make a confession. The appeal resulted in the reduction of his effective custody period, reflecting the appellate court's review of the original sentencing decision.
A 32‑year‑old Dublin man was sentenced to 11 months' imprisonment for sexual assault after he put a hand under a woman's skirt and groped her while she slept at a house party in Blanchardstown on 21 June 2015. The man, whose name is withheld to protect the victim, pleaded not guilty but was unanimously convicted by a jury in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He had no prior convictions. The victim, aged 29, had fallen asleep after failing to secure a taxi and later recalled waking to a hand rubbing her vagina on the outside of her skirt. She reported stress and work absence in her victim impact statement. The judge noted the offender's family status but found the offence to be of a mid‑range severity, and the defendant could not accept responsibility for the act. The sentence was imposed with no mention of a suspended portion or effective custody beyond the 11‑month term.
In 2018 the Court of Appeal upheld the eight life sentences imposed on a 49‑year‑old Wexford man for raping a 60‑year‑old mother and her daughter in Dublin between 2 and 5 July 2015. The man pleaded guilty to rape, false imprisonment, attempted rape, aggravated burglary, threats to kill and aggravated sexual assault. He had previously been convicted of repeatedly raping his daughter between 2000 and 2004. The sentences were concurrent and the Court of Appeal found the offences "wholly exceptional" and "appropriate" for life imprisonment. The judge noted the mother's vulnerability, the prolonged nature of the assault, the use of a knife, restraints, threats, and the fact that the daughter heard the rape on a voicemail. The appeal was dismissed, with the Court affirming the life terms as justified by the severity and violence of the crimes. The defendant's guilty plea was deemed insufficient to reduce the sentences.
James Cronin, aged 35, was jailed for two years by the Court of Appeal after breaching the conditions of a suspended sentence by drinking alcohol. Cronin had previously been sentenced to seven years in 2007 for attempting to rape a girl he met at a Killarney disco on Christmas Eve 2004, and was already serving an eight‑year sentence for kidnapping and raping another woman he met at a Killarney disco on 31 October 2004. The Court of Criminal Appeal had varied his Christmas Eve sentence to ten years, suspending the final five years on the condition that he comply with probation services and abstain from alcohol. The probation service reported that Cronin had consumed alcohol to an excessive degree on several occasions, undermining his medication and the terms of his release. The Court of Appeal, hearing the matter, activated two of the five suspended years, requiring Cronin to serve two years in jail.
The article advertises a full‑time Court Reporter position at CCC.Nuacht, one of Ireland's largest national court reporting agencies. It highlights the agency's long history of accurate reporting for national media such as RTE, the Irish Times and the Irish Independent, noting that its reporters have broken major stories including the public decision by child rape victim Fiona Doyle and the "garlic man" sentencing. The role requires the ability to understand complex legal cases and produce high‑quality reports under tight deadlines, often covering highly sensitive crimes. Applicants should have a proven track record in national press reporting, preferably with court‑reporting experience, and demonstrate personal initiative, good judgement, and the ability to work independently and as part of a team. The salary is entry‑level, with a six‑month probationary period.
In a Central Criminal Court trial, a 46‑year‑old man was convicted of two counts of sexual assault and one count of rape against his younger sister, aged 11‑12, between August 1987 and September 1988. The court described the family home as "a house where sexual abuse was culture". The judge sentenced him to five years' imprisonment, with the final three years suspended, and noted no need for post‑release supervision. The case also referenced a separate trial in which the same man was convicted in January of four counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault against another sister between 1983 and 1990, receiving a ten‑year sentence with the last two and a half years suspended. The article reports the victim's impact statement, the judge's remarks on the family dynamics, and the defendant's continued denial of the allegations. No further legal outcomes are mentioned.
In 2018, a 41‑year‑old woman recounted how a local horse trader, John Phelan, 54, ended her aspiration to become a vet by raping her during school holidays in 1992–1993. She had taken a summer job caring for animals on farms, hoping to prepare for her future, but Phelan abused her while she was 14–16. He pleaded guilty to four sexual assault charges and two rapes, and was already serving a seven‑year sentence for earlier abuse of a girl aged nine to eleven. The court heard that Phelan began with inappropriate questions, then progressed to kissing, fondling, and digital penetration. He also forced her to wear a one‑piece swimsuit to facilitate molestation. The victim, who had not spoken out until the trial, described lasting trauma, depression, and a loss of trust in men. She thanked Garda Michael Kennelly and others for their support. Phelan was remanded in custody, with sentencing pending. John Phelan was convicted.
A Longford man convicted of sexually abusing four of his nieces has had his 13-year prison sentence upheld by the Court of Appeal. The 50-year-old man pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to seven charges, including three counts of anal rape and one sexual assault committed between 2001 and 2010. The offences involved victims aged between seven and 16 at the time. The Central Criminal Court imposed consecutive sentences totalling 13 years in May 2017. The Court of Appeal, comprising Mr Justice John Edwards, Mr Justice George Birmingham, and Mr Justice John Hedigan, found the sentences proportionate both individually and cumulatively. The court dismissed the man's appeal against sentence severity.
Denis Nolan, a former priest aged 64, was convicted by a jury at the Central Criminal Court of six counts of oral rape, defilement and sexual assault of a boy aged 10‑11 between 2005 and 2006. The boy was paid €10‑€15 for gardening work at Nolan's home and the presbytery, a sum that rose when the abuse began. Nolan, who had previously been defrocked and was serving an eight‑year sentence for a separate sexual abuse case, denied the charges. The court heard that Nolan made inappropriate remarks about puberty, encouraged the boy to view sexual material online, and progressed to fondling, oral rape and assault in the priest's bedroom, the presbytery and a car. The final rape in the presbytery caused injury requiring surgery and ongoing health problems. Nolan's appeal was dismissed by Mr Justice John Hedigan, who upheld the conviction, noting that alleged inconsistencies in the victim's evidence were within normal limits for such cases.
A 35‑year‑old man was sentenced to eight years in prison for raping and attempting an anal rape of his former partner at their Dublin home. He pleaded guilty to the 2010 rape and 2011 attempted rape. The victim, whose identity is protected, reported panic attacks, flashbacks and nightmares, and said she could not trust people or have a sexual relationship since the offences. The judge noted the victim's vulnerability and past abusive relationships, and that the man committed the crimes under the influence of alcohol and drugs. He was given an eight‑year sentence with the final 18 months suspended, conditional on probation, a sex‑offender treatment programme, addressing alcohol and addiction issues, and a three‑year post‑release supervision. The man was also ordered to stay away from the victim. The case was prosecuted by Sean Gillane SC.
In a 2018 Central Criminal Court verdict, a 49‑year‑old man from Co. Waterford was sentenced to five years' imprisonment for the persistent sexual abuse of his younger sister. The jury convicted him on 56 counts of rape and 15 of indecent assault committed between December 1983 and December 1986, when the victim was aged seven to twelve and the perpetrator was fourteen. The judge, Justice Eileen Creedon, described the abuse as "persistent" and noted that the brother threatened the girl with a shotgun, threatened to shoot their mother if she disclosed the abuse, forced her to watch pornography and re‑enact scenes, and coerced her into sexual acts. He had not been previously convicted, had integrated into society, and was married with three children. The judge acknowledged his late admission of responsibility, which vindicated the victim, and suspended the final 12 months of the sentence on strict conditions, including completion of a sex‑offender programme in custody.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, 65‑year‑old Bartholomew Prendergast pleaded guilty to two counts of rape and 13 counts of indecent assault against his sister‑in‑law, Stephanie Hickey, aged 12‑15 at the time, and to one count of indecent assault against Deirdre Fahy, aged 13‑14, and two counts of indecent assault against a third woman, aged 9‑12. The offences occurred between 1979 and 1991 in County Waterford and County Tipperary. Prendergast, a former Waterford County Council worker and local musician, had recently retired and had no prior convictions. The court adjourned the case to 26 November for sentencing, after the judge remanded him in custody and revoked his bail. The hearing included victim impact statements from the three women, who described the abuse and its lasting effects. No further legal actions were announced at this stage.
In a 2018 sentencing hearing, a Laois woman whose brother‑in‑law was convicted of raping her in 1983 was heard as a survivor, not a victim. She described herself as a 15‑year‑old with no knowledge of sex when the 59‑year‑old man raped her at his home. The court found the offence a "brutal predatory rape" and sentenced him to nine years, suspending the final three and a half years because of his lack of prior convictions and failing health. The woman had disclosed the rape to family, a doctor and a charity function in 2014, after which she received a defamation threat from the accused. She testified in detail, noting the lasting impact on her confidence, self‑esteem and sleep, and the court acknowledged the offence's damage to her developing personality. The judge emphasised that true rehabilitation requires acknowledgement of the wrong done. The unnamed 15-year-old pleaded not guilty and was acquitted.
A 52‑year‑old man was found guilty of attempting to rape his seven‑year‑old cousin in January 1984 and of raping her on a weekly basis between mid‑1985 and mid‑1986. The Central Criminal Court sentenced him to nine years, with the final year suspended if he participates in the Building Better Lives programme for sex offenders. The judge noted the man's youth at the time of the offences and his otherwise "blameless life" when reducing the headline sentence of 13 years to nine. The victim, now 42, gave a victim impact statement describing the lasting physical and psychological harm, including suicidal thoughts, anxiety and depression. She said her health and emotional well‑being improved after the conviction, and she no longer takes medication. The court heard that the man maintains his innocence and that he had no prior convictions.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, a 46‑year‑old man was convicted of 24 counts of sexually assaulting one girl and one count of assaulting her younger sister, all while the children were staying at their grandmother's home. The first victim, aged six or seven, was assaulted between July 2000 and July 2002 when she slept on the man's date, and the second victim, also aged six or seven at the first assault, was assaulted from 2005 to 2010 while she slept in her bedroom. The man pleaded not guilty to 33 charges; a jury convicted him on 25 counts and the judge acquitted him of eight. Judge Martina Baxter described the acts as "gratuitous, depraved and exploitative," noted the family's division, and imposed an eight‑year sentence with the final 12 months suspended. The sentence was partially suspended, leaving the man to serve eight years in custody.
A 47-year-old man from County Mayo, convicted of multiple sexual offences against his daughter, has been granted an early appeal hearing date by the Court of Appeal. In February, he was found guilty of three counts of rape, five counts of anal rape, and six counts of sexual assault committed between 2006 and 2010 when the victim was aged seven to eleven. Justice Deirdre Murphy imposed a sentence of fifteen years imprisonment with the final year suspended. The man has maintained his innocence and lodged an appeal against conviction. An application for bail pending appeal was considered, with the court fixing an early hearing date for the second of November. A separate gardaí investigation is ongoing into allegations that the victim made statements contradicting her trial evidence. The man's identity is protected to safeguard the victim's anonymity. The unnamed 47-year-old pleaded not guilty.