A 63‑year‑old former priest was convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury of six counts of oral rape, defilement and sexual assault committed in his home between 2005 and 2006. The victim, aged between ten and eleven at the time, was a boy from the priest's parish. The priest had previously denied the charges. The trial showed that the priest befriended the boy, gradually invaded his personal space and made sexual comments. He encouraged the child to look up "gay porn" on the family computer, a search that was later discovered by the boy's father. The priest told the boy that sexual acts were natural and that everything they did was private. He asked the boy to touch him sexually and to perform oral sex on him, and at one point instructed the boy to suck his penis.
Michael Martin, aged 37, was sentenced to 13 years for falsely imprisoning an 11‑year‑old girl he lifted from a green area near her home in Co. Laois. He was found guilty on 4 March 2015 and originally received a 17‑year term with the last four years suspended. On appeal the Court of Appeal deemed the sentence excessive and re‑sentenced him to 14 years, suspending the final three years for five years. The appeal judge noted the girl was physically lifted into a silver Nissan and that her ten‑year‑old brother's quick action prevented a more serious outcome. Martin had 92 prior convictions, including sexual assault and abduction, and pleaded guilty. He was required to enter a five‑year good‑behaviour bond after release. The court emphasised the gravity of the offence and the need to protect children.
Slawomir Gierlowski, 32, of Galtymore Road, Drimnagh, was denied bail by Judge Melanie Greally at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He faces charges of false imprisonment and sexual assault of a woman in September 2016 in Clondalkin, assault causing harm and false imprisonment of another woman in May 2016 near Naas Road, and false imprisonment and assault causing harm to a third woman in September 2011. Gierlowski has not entered a plea. He remains in custody until March 20, when a sentencing date will be set. The court has not released further details of the hearing.
In a Family Court hearing on 7 March 2017, a husband sought a safety order against his wife after alleging repeated assaults and a false rape accusation. He claimed the wife had been charged with drink driving four years earlier, lost her job, and began drinking daily. He described incidents of being punched, kicked, threatened with a knife, and having her slash his car tyres. The wife admitted to drinking and to slashing one tyre, but denied intent to harm. She also said she had made a false rape allegation and was now cooperating with her children. The judge granted a two‑year safety order, citing the husband's fear for his life and the alleged threats. The case remains at the safety‑order stage.
A 20‑year‑old woman pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after inviting a 54‑year‑old man she had been in a sexual relationship with to her apartment so her boyfriend could beat him. The assault took place on 11 August 2015 at her Dublin home. The victim, a father of six, was punched, kicked, stabbed, and suffered broken bones and a wired jaw. The woman was sentenced to two years' imprisonment, which was fully suspended. She was not the ringleader but was prosecuted under joint enterprise for facilitating the attack. The court noted that the garda had given sympathetic evidence, citing her difficult past. The case is separate from a defilement case the Director of Public Prosecutions is considering against the victim. The woman has no prior convictions. The co‑accused in the assault is unnamed and will stand trial on similar charges. The victim's name is withheld for legal reasons.
A 71‑year‑old Dublin man was sentenced to six years in prison for indecent and sexual assault of his nephew between 1989 and 1991, when the boy was aged 15 to 17. The Central Criminal Court jury found him guilty on five counts of indecent assault and one count of sexual assault. He is already serving an eight‑year sentence for similar offences against another boy during the same period and has 42 prior convictions, including rape and indecent assault. The judge, Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, noted that the uncle's high family standing and grooming—showing pornography and attempting anal intercourse—made the conduct exceptionally obnoxious. The sentence was reduced to eight years with the final two years suspended, a decision influenced by the defendant's advanced age. The nephew, now 42, described the abuse as traumatic and the uncle's attempts to silence him during the trial. The unnamed 71-year-old pleaded not guilty.
The 66‑year‑old man, who had previously been convicted of sexual assault, was sentenced by Judge Patricia Ryan at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after admitting he had breached a Section 16 sex‑offender order by attempting to talk to children while intoxicated. The order, issued by Judge Martin Nolan in February 2015, prohibited any interaction with children for five years and required the offender to remain unidentified. The man pleaded guilty to the breach on 11 August 2016 and has been in custody since. Judge Ryan imposed an 18‑month sentence, back‑dated to the offence, and suspended the balance on the condition that he complies with all directions of the Probation Service and remains abstinent from non‑prescription intoxicants. He will access a multidisciplinary treatment programme in the community rather than in custody, as outlined in a probation and welfare report presented to the court.
Martin Stokes, 25, of Corkhill, Kinnegad, was convicted of defilement of a child under 15 and of raping a 14‑year‑old girl in Westmeath on 3 June 2011. He denied the rape and assault, claiming the contact was consensual. A Central Criminal Court jury found him guilty on all counts and sentenced him to 12 years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended by Mr Justice Carroll Moran on 7 August 2015. Stokes' appeal against conviction was dismissed in December. On appeal, the Court of Appeal re‑sentenced him to 10 years' imprisonment, suspending the final three years. Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan noted that the original judge had given undue weight to Stokes' lies, leading to an error in the starting point of the sentence. The Court of Appeal considered the four‑year delay, Stokes' age at the time of the offence, and the need for rehabilitation, and imposed a good‑behaviour bond for the suspended period. Martin Stokes pleaded not guilty.
The Court of Appeal has dismissed the application of an unnamed 77-year-old former professional soccer player to extend the time limit for appealing his convictions. The appellant, who cannot be named to protect his victim, was convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury in May 2011 on 60 counts of sexual abuse and 14 charges of rape. The alleged offences occurred between January 2002 and September 2006 in Galway and Roscommon, when his daughter was aged between nine and fourteen. Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan rejected the request for an extension to appeal the convictions, noting the appellant's failure to lodge the appeal within the standard 28-day window. The judge stated that the appellant failed to establish that the interests of justice required an extension, emphasizing the daughter's "right to closure." Although the court considered a psychological report suggesting the appellant suffers from compulsive obsessive personality disorder, Mr Justice Sheehan deemed it of "extremely limited value." However, the court granted a 21-day extension from the date of the ruling for the appellant to lodge an appeal against his sentence. In May 2011, he was sentenced to ten years in prison on each sexual assault count and fifteen years on each rape count, with the final three years of each sentence suspended. The matter regarding the conviction appeal was dismissed, while the sentence appeal timeline was extended.
Munir Ghariani, 26, of Dun Laoghaire, pleaded guilty to the robbery of a Chinese national on Granville Road, Cabinteely, on March 21, 2016. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Ghariani, who has 34 previous convictions including sexual assault, indecency, burglary, and theft, was registered as a sex offender. He was on bail for a similar offence at the time of the incident. During the sentencing stage, Ghariani asked Judge Melanie Greally if there was any chance of a suspended sentence, promising to stay home and take medication. The court noted he admitted to the theft but denied biting the victim, claiming her thumb hit his teeth, while stating he acted "for the thrill." Defence counsel described the act as a spontaneous attempt and highlighted Ghariani's complex mental health issues and personal background. Judge Greally rejected a defence application for temporary bail. The matter was adjourned to later this month to hear evidence from medical professionals treating Ghariani for his complex mental health problems.
A 71‑year‑old Dublin man, whose name is withheld for legal reasons, was found guilty by a jury of five counts of indecent assault and one count of sexual assault against his nephew, aged 15 to 17, between 1989 and 1991. The nephew, now 42 and a father of two, testified that the uncle used his high family status and education to "silence and belittle" him during the trial, claiming the allegations were fabricated. The uncle had previously been convicted of 42 offences, including rape and indecent assault, and was serving a 10‑year sentence for similar crimes. The nephew described the abuse as traumatic, noting that the uncle's respected position in the family prevented him from speaking out for years. The case was heard in the Central Criminal Court, with sentencing scheduled for March 6 by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy. The unnamed 71-year-old pleaded not guilty.
In a Cork case, a 27‑year‑old man with significant intellectual difficulties was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment for raping his seven‑year‑old nephew on three occasions between 2009 and 2011. The trial, lasting eight days, found the defendant guilty of three counts of rape. Judge Paul Coffey noted the age gap and the betrayal of trust, as the nephew's mother had allowed the man to stay in the family home. He acknowledged the defendant's disability but held him morally culpable, stating he knew his actions were wrong. The judge suspended the final six months of the term on the condition that the defendant participate in a sex‑offender treatment programme while in custody. He also imposed seven years of post‑release supervision, citing a high risk of re‑offending. The mother's victim impact statement expressed shock at the betrayal and a desire for justice. The unnamed 27-year-old pleaded not guilty and was convicted.
Paul Moore, 51, who has received six jail sentences for rape and sexual assault over the last 25 years, was again released on bail pending sentence for sexually assaulting a woman on the DART. The case was adjourned to allow his case manager to give evidence on how he can safely live in the community. Judge Melanie Greally remanded him on continuing bail until 16 March 2017, stating the court should be alerted if any concerns arise. Moore assaulted an au pair in 2014, was not recognised on CCTV until two years later, and had previously sexually assaulted two women in the city centre in 2015, for which he received 15 months' imprisonment. Earlier convictions include raping a musician in 2001 (ten years) and another woman in 1995 (seven years). He pleaded guilty to the DART assault and his defence counsel highlighted conflicting psychiatric reports and his isolated life.
In a High Court written judgement, Mr Justice Richard Humphreys criticised the Child and Family Agency (CFA) for focusing on a father's alleged "inappropriate acts of a sexual nature" – specifically, masturbating in front of his eldest daughter – while allegedly ignoring more serious sexual abuse claims involving another man who had ongoing access to children. The father, who denies wrongdoing, seeks to appeal the CFA's finding that he engaged in child sexual abuse and that he should not have unsupervised contact with children. He also wants his daughter cross‑examined during the appeal. The judge ruled that the father is entitled to such cross‑examination and that if it does not occur within two months the appeal will be allowed. He ordered that the identities of those involved remain confidential and that the CFA's findings cannot be relied upon until the cross‑examination has taken place.
In 2016 a 48‑year‑old Latvian man pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual assault, anal rape, oral rape and false imprisonment of a 40‑year‑old Lithuanian woman in her Tipperary flat. He was sentenced to seven years imprisonment, but the Director of Public Prosecutions appealed, arguing the sentence was unduly lenient. The Court of Appeal re‑sentenced him to nine years imprisonment. The judge described the assault as vicious, noting the victim was unable to lock her bedroom, was attacked for about 25 minutes, had her clothing torn off and was threatened with violence and sexual assault. The victim had recently lost her boyfriend to suicide and was in financial hardship. The judge acknowledged the offender's limited English and fatherhood but found the offence at the high end of the range, reducing the sentence by one year from the minimum of ten years. The final sentence was nine years imprisonment.
Paul Moore, 51, who has received six jail sentences for rape and sexual assault over the last 25 years, will remain on bail pending sentencing for sexually assaulting an au pair on the southside DART on 28 August 2014. Gardaí examined CCTV footage of the incident but Moore was not recognised until 2016, when he was arrested. In 2014, Moore approached the victim on the DART, made small talk, then touched her breasts and pulled at her trousers before another passenger intervened. He had a toy turtle in his hand and claimed he was looking for a child to give it to. In 2015 he was jailed for 15 months for two separate street assaults where he stopped women for a cigarette and sexually assaulted them. His other convictions include rape of a musician in 2001 (10 years) and rape of another woman in 1995 (7 years). The unnamed man pleaded guilty.
A 30‑year‑old Cork man was found guilty of raping his former partner on 8 September 2013. He pleaded not guilty to the rape but pleaded guilty to forcing her to give him oral sex and to assault causing harm on 10 July 2013. The jury returned a guilty verdict on the rape after nearly four‑and‑a‑half hours of deliberation. The man has 16 previous convictions, including rape and aggravated sexual assault, and is serving a 12‑year sentence. He will be sentenced on 8 May. The victim, aged 26, described how the man grabbed her by the hair, forced her head between his legs, shouted "Suck my cock bitch," and forced her to perform oral sex. She escaped to the bathroom, then was assaulted again while her 15‑month‑old son cried. She later reported the incident to gardaí and sought help from the Rape Crisis Centre.
An autistic 17‑year‑old who raped a 13‑year‑old boy and sexually assaulted another was convicted of one count of rape and two counts of sexual assault. The Central Criminal Court, hearing the case in a midlands town, imposed a three‑year sentence but deferred its imposition until January 2018, hoping a multi‑agency care plan would be in place. Judge Paul Coffey noted the boy's moderate risk of re‑offending if support services were not urgently intervened and directed a new report on the accused. He said he could suspend all or part of the prison term depending on the boy's progress and the services available. The boy will remain under Probation Services supervision while awaiting the final decision. The case involved allegations of abuse against the accused, one of which remains under investigation. The unnamed 13 year old pleaded not guilty.
A Dublin man, who was 16 when he began sexually abusing his eight‑year‑old nephew, was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment by the Central Criminal Court. The court heard that the abuse, which began in 1988 and continued until 1991, involved indecent assault, anal rape and sexual assault. The victim described the uncle's behaviour as "disgusting" and said he was forced to speak about it in front of women. He also reported that the uncle had a "deeply inappropriate" sexual relationship with an adult in the household. The judge, Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, noted the "appalling regularity" of the abuse and the vulnerability of the child, and imposed concurrent sentences totalling ten years, with a three‑year post‑release supervision order. The accused had been living with the victim's family and had denied the allegations when interviewed by Gardaí. The unnamed accused was convicted.
An alcoholic 42‑year‑old from Limerick was sentenced to six years for sexually assaulting a 28‑year‑old woman in a Kerry town on 27 May 2013. The victim, who had been drinking with the accused in his apartment, fell asleep and was awakened by the man standing over her, punching her and repeatedly demanding oral sex. She was naked and unaware of how she had become undressed. The accused pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court. Judge Patrick McCarthy, after hearing a probation report, imposed a six‑year term with the final two years suspended, conditional on compliance with probation directions, including offence‑focused counselling, alcohol treatment, and training, employment and educational services. The sentence aimed to protect the community and facilitate the accused's reintegration while recognising the gravity of the offence.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a 24‑year‑old woman described the lasting impact of sexual abuse by her stepfather, who had assaulted and raped her for over seven years. She said she would never live a normal life because the man, who was meant to protect her, had stolen her childhood. The court heard that the 44‑year‑old Kildare man began sexually assaulting her when she was 12, started raping her regularly at 15, and continued until 2011. He was found guilty of 17 counts of sexual assault and 16 counts of rape. During the trial he denied the allegations, claiming they were fabricated. The victim's statement detailed severe depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and self‑harm, and she said she could not pursue a career or form lasting relationships. The case was scheduled for sentencing on March 6. The man had prior convictions for assault and larceny and had worked as a builder.
Folajimmy Awode, 32, of Ballinteer House, Tyrellstown, Dublin, was convicted of sexually assaulting a female patient at Mater Private Hospital in November 2013. He pleaded not guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, but a jury found him guilty. Judge Patricia Ryan sentenced him to two years' imprisonment, suspending the final six months. Awode appealed, arguing that the trial judge had failed to instruct the jury on the nature and purpose of complaint evidence and had not adequately presented the defence's case. His counsel, Kevin White BL, claimed the defence's argument was that the complainant was mistaken or dreaming and that Awode was entitled to be on the ward. The Director of Public Prosecutions' counsel, Elva Duffy BL, countered that the evidence was used to attack the complainant's credibility. The appeal was dismissed by Mr Justice John Edwards, who noted that the lack of jury instruction on complaint evidence did not render the conviction unsafe.
An elderly Dublin man, aged 64, was sentenced to 16 months' imprisonment for indecent assault on his nine‑year‑old niece on 26 December 1980. The jury convicted him of one count of indecent assault. The victim, who was asleep with three young cousins, awoke to the man kneeling on her, rubbing her genitals. She screamed, but he continued, then left the room, returned with his trousers around his hips, masturbating while looking at the girls. One cousin covered the youngest girl's eyes to hide the man. The victim only disclosed the assault to her mother at 18 and filed a complaint in 2014. The accused denied the charge and claimed good behaviour since 1980. The judge noted the victim's statement that the assault caused irreversible damage, mental torture, and loss of trust, and that it had taken away her childhood and innocence. The maximum sentence at the time was two years, but the current maximum is 14 years.
The Central Criminal Court heard that a 17‑year‑old autistic boy, who had raped a 13‑year‑old and sexually assaulted another 13‑year‑old on two separate occasions, was not being sought for a jail term by the Director of Public Prosecutions. The judge considered a deferred sentence, a rare form where a jail term is imposed but postponed, and indicated that if treatment and support programmes were put in place he might suspend part or all of the sentence. The boy, who was 16 at the time of the offences, pleaded not guilty to three counts of anal rape and was convicted on one count of rape and two lesser counts of sexual assault. He had claimed the incidents were consensual and called them an "experiment gone wrong." The court noted the victims were still in counselling and that the abuse was discovered when the boy told other children he had "had sex" with the boys.
Kevin Mulcahy, a former GP aged 57 from Cork, was convicted of indecently assaulting a 15‑year‑old patient in 1989. After a retrial at Cork Circuit Criminal Court, he was found guilty following 39 minutes of deliberation and sentenced to two years' imprisonment by Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin on 25 November 2015. His appeal against conviction was dismissed in October, and he was re‑sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment following a sentence appeal. During case‑management procedures in the Court of Appeal, Justice George Birmingham directed that a legal‑aid certificate be issued to cover the hearing of a Supreme Court appeal. Justice John Edwards, who had previously ruled on Mulcahy's unsuccessful appeal, noted that Mulcahy had regularly visited the complainant's home to treat her mother, and that during one visit he allegedly touched the patient's vagina. Mulcahy was arrested and interviewed in 2011 on the complaint of indecent assault. Kevin Mulcahy pleaded not guilty.
In 2014, a 65‑year‑old former primary school teacher was convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury of one count of rape and 115 counts of indecent assault and sexual assault against his sister‑in‑law between 1981 and 1993. He was sentenced to ten years for rape and two concurrent five‑year terms for each assault count. The defendant, who had denied all charges, was acquitted on 29 counts and found not guilty on 27 further counts. In 2017, he appealed the conviction. Judge George Birmingham dismissed the appeal, ruling that the trial judge had not acted unfairly or unsafely, that the jury's verdicts were safe, and that the evidence presented, including that of six witnesses, was admissible and relevant. The Court of Appeal therefore upheld the original conviction and sentence.
In a Dublin criminal court, a 53‑year‑old man was sentenced to seven and a half years' imprisonment for drugging and sexually assaulting his heavily‑pregnant partner. The judge described the man as a danger to society and to women, noting the victim was eight months pregnant with their second child. The judge found the man's actions "sneaky, underhand and clandestine" and said the victim felt humiliated and degraded, especially when the assault videos were played in court. The final six months of the sentence were suspended unconditionally, and a further two years were suspended on the condition that the man attend a sexual offenders treatment programme. He was also registered as a sex offender. The man maintains his innocence and faces a retrial on rape charges that were not proven at this hearing. The unnamed 40-year-old pleaded not guilty and was found guilty.
Michael Dunn, an English priest aged 67, was sentenced to nine months' imprisonment in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for three counts of sexual assault committed against a 12‑year‑old boy during a holiday in Ireland more than 40 years ago. The victim, who was bullied at school, described Dunn as a trusted confidant who groomed him, forced him to masturbate and share a bed nightly, and coerced him into kissing. Dunn pleaded guilty in August 1975 when he was 26 and had previously served 18 months in England for a similar offence. He intends to appeal the sentence. The court noted the profound negative impact on the victim's life, and Judge Melanie Greally denied bail for Dunn pending appeal. The victim's statement highlighted the lasting emotional trauma and the effect on his family. The priest's defence counsel expressed remorse and requested consideration of his client's lack of further crimes. Michael Dunn was convicted.
A 65‑year‑old priest, whose name is withheld for legal reasons, received a suspended two‑year sentence for sexual assault after a court found he had been placed under effective house arrest by his order. The court heard that the priest had molested a boy in his early teens after Mass in a Dublin church in September 2015, an act that lasted about 15 seconds. The boy's mother reported the incident to Gardaí, leading to the priest's admission and subsequent registration as a sex offender. The priest is now confined to a house run by his order, prohibited from celebrating Mass, wearing priestly garb, leaving the house alone, or having unsupervised contact with children or vulnerable adults. The regime is to continue indefinitely, and the suspended sentence will take effect only if the priest completes a sex‑offender programme. The judge noted the priest's early guilty plea, remorse, and prior good work in missions worldwide.
An ex‑soldier, aged 42, was convicted by a military court of sexual assault and four charges of conduct contrary to good order and discipline at Aiken Barracks, Dundalk, on 30 October 2013. He was sentenced to twelve weeks' detention, with the final eight weeks suspended, and was also reprimanded, fined, demoted from Corporal to Private and discharged. The Court of Appeal held that the military judge had no authority to impose discharge or rank reduction because the soldier had already been granted a discharge before sentencing. The judge found no error in the detention order but ruled that the rank reduction was an error in principle, as it would affect his pension. The soldier was re‑sentenced to one month imprisonment suspended for six months on conditions, six months imprisonment suspended for twelve months on conditions, and fined €500. The appeal rejected the claim that the punishment was excessive.
In a 2017 case, a 27‑year‑old man was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment for raping a 54‑year‑old woman outside her home in County Galway. The man had forced entry to the house in the middle of the night, breaking a lock on an access door, and the victim, who was an alcoholic, had met him while drinking. She testified that she had been sober for several weeks before the offence but resumed drinking afterwards. The court noted that the victim and her daughter were present, with the daughter seeking safety and calling the Gardaí. The accused was acquitted of burglary.
A 54-year-old man, whose identity is protected to safeguard his victims, is appealing his conviction and 12-year sentence for sexually abusing his step-children. The Court of Appeal heard arguments regarding his conviction for abusing two of his three step-children, for which he was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment by Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy on June 20, 2016. In a separate trial, he was convicted of four counts of rape, ten counts of sexual assault, one offence of oral rape, and two charges of using an object to penetrate his step-daughter between 2001 and 2005. Ms Justice Margaret Heneghan imposed a concurrent 12-year sentence for abusing the eldest child in July 2016. The appellant, represented by Paddy McGrath SC, argued that the trial judge erred by refusing to sever the indictment for separate trials, failed to discharge the jury after accidental evidence of other allegations was introduced, and that the verdict was perverse. Counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions, Timothy O'Leary SC, countered that sufficient similarities, including the step-parent relationship and the offering of money, justified joint trials. The three-judge panel, comprising Mr Justice George Birmingham, Mr Justice Alan Mahon, and Mr Justice John Edwards, reserved judgment. Consequently, the matter was adjourned, and the outcome of the appeal remains pending.
In a 2017 trial in Offaly, a 53‑year‑old man was found guilty of sexually abusing his 10‑year‑old daughter on six occasions between 1994 and 1996. He pleaded not guilty to three counts of assault and three counts of oral rape, but a jury convicted him on all six charges. The abuse occurred while the mother was away for work; the father would wake his daughter at night, take her to his bed, and force her to undress before abusing her. He left a £50 note after each incident, which the daughter later returned. The daughter, now 32, testified that she had remained silent for 20 years and only came forward in 2014 after learning her father had a new partner with young daughters. She said she had to break her silence to protect others and that the abuse had a profound effect on her trust in people.
In January 2015 a Dublin man, aged 53, was arrested after a jury found him guilty of three counts of sexual assault in November 2014, involving the touching of his heavily‑pregnant partner's anal area while she slept. The jury could not reach a verdict on two additional rape allegations from December 2014, and the man will face a retrial on those charges. Garda Brendan Harte revealed that police had discovered three video clips, each 31 to 57 seconds long, showing the man inserting a finger into the woman's anus while she slept, illuminated by a torch. The victim, aged 40, identified herself in the footage and claimed the acts were consensual, though she later stated she felt humiliated and degraded. She has since become a single mother and is taking antidepressants. The man has three prior convictions, including burglary and careless driving, but denies any history of abusive or threatening behaviour. The unnamed man pleaded not guilty.
A 16‑year‑old man sexually abused his eight‑year‑old nephew in a deeply dysfunctional household. He also had an inappropriate sexual relationship with an adult in the house. The nephew testified that the abuse began when he was about eight, involving fondling, mouth contact, and forced sexual acts, escalating to anal rape. He reported physical assault, threats of death, and being told to have sex "like an adult." The abuse occurred at various times and places, and the victim was threatened with harm if he disclosed it. The nephew first complained in 2011; the accused denied the allegations when interviewed by Gardaí. He was convicted in November of eight counts of indecent assault, one count of anal rape and one count of sexual assault covering 1988‑1991. Sentencing was adjourned to 20 February.
In the Central Criminal Court, a 33‑year‑old man was sentenced to five years' imprisonment and ordered to pay €40,000 in compensation after pleading guilty to raping his former partner. The judge, Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, noted that the victim's impact statement described ongoing nightmares and a sense of loss, and that the offender had no prior convictions. He reduced an initial nine‑year sentence to six years on the basis of the offender's guilty plea and expressions of remorse, and further reduced it by one year because the offender's compensation payment was limited. The court ordered the offender to pay €20,000 within a week and the remainder within a month, citing his limited financial resources. The sentence was imposed with no mention of any future appeal or additional proceedings.
In 2016, a 66‑year‑old man from the UK was convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury of nine counts of raping his son from the age of six and one count of child cruelty, with an additional acquittal for a separate alleged rape with a poker. His 38‑year‑old partner was convicted of child cruelty but found not guilty of sexual assault allegations involving the child between ages six and seven. The parents had pleaded not guilty to 82 charges, of which 60 were withdrawn. The judge sentenced the man to 15 years' imprisonment, suspending the final year. In January 2017, the Court of Appeal granted the man an extension of time to appeal his conviction and sentence, with no objection from the State. The appeal was filed two‑and‑a‑half weeks late, and the man was not present for the procedural hearing.
Patrick O'Driscoll, 42, of Codrum, Macroom, was found guilty by a jury of 61 counts of raping his eldest daughter, Ellen O'Driscoll, aged 16 to 17, between 2008 and 2009. He denied the charges. In the Central Criminal Court, Mr Justice Paul Butler sentenced him to ten years' imprisonment, with the final year suspended on conditions including no contact with his daughter. The judge noted O'Driscoll's otherwise "blameless life" and his role in rearing the rest of his family. Ellen O'Driscoll, 24, had previously waived anonymity and stated in a victim impact statement that she feels she is serving a life sentence, having been isolated from her family and community after the abuse. The trial highlighted the weekly nature of the assaults and the family's support for O'Driscoll despite the conviction. The sentencing took place after a week‑long trial in November.
Martin Stokes, a 25-year-old man from Kinnegad, Westmeath, appeared before the Court of Appeal to challenge the severity of his sentence. He had previously pleaded not guilty to the defilement of a child under 15 in Westmeath on June 3, 2011, as well as rape and sexual assault. A Central Criminal Court jury found him guilty on all counts, and he was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended, by Mr Justice Carroll Moran in August 2015. Stokes's earlier appeal against conviction was dismissed in December. In today's hearing, his barrister, Padraig Dwyer SC, argued that the sentence was excessive, noting the absence of additional violence or threats. Dwyer contended that the trial judge placed undue emphasis on Stokes's denials and the resulting trauma to the victim, while also highlighting the personal impact on Stokes, including the end of his marriage and separation from his child. Conversely, counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions, Pauline Walley SC, maintained the sentence was proportionate, citing the victim's severe depression, anxiety, and the disruption to her education caused by multiple trial dates. The court, comprising Mr Justice George Birmingham, Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan, and Mr Justice Alan Mahon, reserved its judgment, indicating it hopes to deliver its decision as soon as possible. The matter remains adjourned pending this final ruling.
A man from Carrigallen, County Leitrim, has been sentenced to eight years imprisonment following his conviction for the sexual abuse of a boy in his community. Damien Reilly, aged 39, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to sexual assault, oral rape, and anal rape. The offences occurred between 1994 and 2000, when the victim was aged between nine and fourteen years old and Reilly was between seventeen and twenty-two. The court heard that the victim came forward to gardaí in 2014 after an encounter with Reilly in a local public house. During sentencing, Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy described the offences as grave and noted their serious impact on the complainant. The judge acknowledged Reilly's early guilty plea and early medical reports relating to a childhood stroke. Three years post-release supervision was also imposed.
Michael Murray, 46, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for rape, attempted rape, oral rape, aggravated sexual assault, child abduction, threats, false imprisonment and theft during a Dublin apartment incident in February 2010. He lured a woman by claiming an elderly woman needed help, tied her up, assaulted her, abducted her son, and later drugged and raped her. Murray denied the charges but was found guilty on all counts by a unanimous jury. He filed an appeal against his conviction, initially through his legal team led by Vincent Heneghan SC. After the court was informed that Murray had lost confidence in his team, he advanced the appeal himself. The Court of Appeal noted that Murray had been deemed unfit for police interview due to intoxication and that the state could not rely on the initial interview data.
A man has been convicted of kidnapping the mother of his children at the Central Criminal Court following a two-week trial. The jury returned a guilty verdict after deliberating for over five hours. However, jurors could not reach agreement on charges of rape and extreme domestic abuse during their five-year relationship. Justice Carmel Stewart remanded the accused in custody pending a prosecution decision next month on whether to seek a retrial on the outstanding counts. The woman, aged 29, had obtained a barring order against the man before the November 2014 incident in Longford. She alleged he forcibly removed her from her sister's house, drove recklessly along country roads, and held her at his friend's residence while threatening her. The accused pleaded not guilty to rape, false imprisonment, and production of an article. He also faced multiple assault charges spanning 2011 to 2015, though one assault charge and a breach of barring order were not proceeded with.
A 33‑year‑old man pleaded guilty to raping his former partner in a Dublin suburb on 26 January 2014. The victim, who suffered severe physical and psychological harm, gave a victim impact statement describing nightmares, loss of motherhood and suicidal thoughts. The court adjourned sentencing to January 2020 to allow consideration of potential significant compensation. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy noted the adjournment would not affect the sentence and remanded the accused in custody until 16 January. The prosecution highlighted the couple's long relationship, the rape's violent nature, and the victim's post‑incident trauma. The defence, represented by Caroline Biggs SC, presented evidence of the accused's remorse, counselling, and family support, requesting the court consider these factors in sentencing.
A 75‑year‑old man, previously jailed in the UK for raping his step‑children, was convicted in Ireland for repeatedly raping his daughter. After being released in the mid‑1990s, he travelled to Asia, married, and later settled in Dublin where he and his wife had two daughters in 2003 and 2005. He began molesting the youngest daughter when she was six, escalating to oral rape when she was seven, and continued to rape her for the next two years. The abuse came to light in December 2013 when his terminally ill wife reported concerns to hospital staff. Gardaí discovered his prior convictions and that he had left the daughters unattended in a library. A search of his flat revealed passports in the daughters' names. He pleaded guilty to seven counts of sexual assault and four counts of oral rape between January 2012 and December 2013.
Martin Stokes, aged 25, of Corkhill, Kinnegad, was convicted of defilement of a child under 15 and of raping a 14‑year‑old girl in a field in Westmeath on 3 June 2011. He pleaded not guilty, denied knowledge of the girl and later claimed their interaction was consensual. A Central Criminal Court jury found him guilty on all counts. He received a 12‑year sentence, with the final two years suspended by Mr Justice Carroll Moran on 7 August 2015. Stokes appealed on 14 grounds, including the admission of inadmissible hearsay that he had threatened the complainant and other procedural objections. The Court of Appeal, after considering the grounds cumulatively, rejected the appeal. Stokes did not react to the judgment and will appeal the severity of his sentence in the next term.
A 45‑year‑old Laois man was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended, for raping and violently assaulting his wife in their marital bed after she declined to hold his hand. The judge described the case as tragic and noted the victim's emotional impact statement, in which she said she felt like a ghost and that her life and family relationships were destroyed. The man's two adult sons testified in support of him, describing him as a good father. He has pleaded guilty to assault causing harm but denies the rape conviction. The court considered that he had no prior convictions and had led a blameless life before the incident. The sentencing hearing took place in the Central Criminal Court, where the judge highlighted the severity of the victim's suffering and the man's remorse as expressed in a letter to the judge.
A jury at the Central Criminal Court has begun deliberating in the trial of a man accused of raping his former partner from Longford following her alleged kidnapping. Justice Carmel Stewart charged the jury on the legal test for consent, directing them that an honest but unreasonable belief in consent may constitute a defence to rape, provided such belief was genuinely held and not based on self-deceit. The judge instructed the jury to consider whether any claimed belief in consent could have been genuinely held given the circumstances the woman described. The accused has pleaded not guilty to rape, false imprisonment, and production of an article in November 2015, and to three counts of assault causing harm between 2011 and 2015. He faces additional allegations of false imprisonment of the woman and their children in unsuitable accommodation, and various assaults throughout their relationship. Two charges have been withdrawn.
Diarmuid Manning, 21, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison after admitting he raped a 19‑year‑old college student at a house party in Cork on 24 June 2014. The victim, who was unconscious and later treated at Cork University Hospital, described the assault in a victim impact report read at the Central Criminal Court. Manning, a business studies student from Stuke, Donoughmore, pleaded guilty to rape and oral rape. He apologized, claiming he had overdone it while drinking, and expressed hope that the victim would recover and forgive him. The judge noted the victim's compassion and the seriousness of the crime, remanding Manning to custody after hearing the evidence.
Ellen O'Driscoll, aged 24, gave a victim impact statement to the Central Criminal Court on 19 December 2016, saying her family has been torn apart after she accused her father, Patrick O'Driscoll, of repeatedly raping her between 2009 and 2009 when she was 16‑17. She said her mother, sisters, brothers, uncles and aunts all took her father's side, leaving her isolated from the Traveller community. O'Driscoll described the abuse as weekly, involving forced entry into the parents' bedroom, bondage, and rape, after which her father behaved as a normal loving father. She also said she was prevented from attending school and threatened with death if she disclosed the abuse. The trial, held last month, found Patrick O'Driscoll guilty of 61 counts of rape; he denied the charges. He is in custody and will be sentenced by Mr Justice Paul Butler on 17 January 2017. Ellen O'Driscoll was found guilty.
A witness has testified at the Central Criminal Court that an alleged kidnapping and rape victim did not appear distressed when she visited her home on the night in question. The accused man, from Longford, has pleaded not guilty to rape, false imprisonment, and production of an article in November 2015, as well as three counts of assault causing harm between 2011 and 2015. The prosecution alleges he kidnapped the woman after she obtained a barring order against him, and subjected her to violence and degradation over a five-year relationship. The defence witness stated the woman drank cider at her home that evening and exhibited no signs of upset. However, prosecuting counsel suggested the alleged victim had told the witness she was there against her will and questioned why she left at 3am in a distressed state. The trial will resume on Monday with closing speeches before Ms Justice Carmel Stewart.