A 25‑year‑old man from the midlands was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment for raping his niece over a seven‑year period. He began molesting the seven‑year‑old when he was 15, and the abuse escalated to rape and anal rape. The assaults occurred in a relative's house, a treehouse in the grandparents' garden, and the girl's home while her uncle was babysitting her and her younger sister. He pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual assault and seven counts of rape between January 2007 and August 2014. The judge, Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, noted the evidence was "disgusting" and that the accused had full moral culpability, but also acknowledged his remorse and participation in risk‑management therapy. The sentence was reduced from an initial 15‑year recommendation to ten years, with five years of post‑release supervision.
A Longford man has pleaded not guilty to charges including rape, false imprisonment, breaching a barring order, and assault causing harm at the Central Criminal Court. The prosecution alleges he abducted and assaulted a woman following her obtaining a barring order against him. A witness testified that he answered his door in the early hours of Sunday, 8 November 2015, to find a woman in severe distress who reported being pursued. The witness told prosecuting counsel Brendan Grehan SC that the woman was crying, trembling, and bore visible marks on her neck. She stated she had been held overnight at a neighbouring property and said she had pretended compliance with her former partner due to threats to her life. The witness confirmed he contacted gardaí, who confirmed they were searching for the woman. The trial before Ms Justice Carmel Stewart and a jury continues.
The High Court ordered the extradition of a 72‑year‑old man to Britain on a sexual assault charge that carries a maximum penalty of ten years in prison. The alleged assault took place at The Royal Liverpool University Hospital on 9 August 2014. A second charge concerns his failure to appear at Liverpool Crown Court on 5 November 2014. The man was arrested following a European Arrest Warrant issued by British authorities on 7 October 2016. Counsel for the Minister for Justice and Equality argued that the man had no reasonable excuse for missing the court date and that there were no grounds to refuse surrender. Defence counsel raised concerns about the man's significant heart problems and the risk to his health if incarcerated in the UK.
A 39‑year‑old man from Cork, whose name is withheld for legal reasons, was convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury of 23 counts of sexually abusing his younger sister between 1991 and 1997, when he was aged 14 to 20. He had been tried on a 43‑count indictment but was acquitted of the remaining charges. Mr Justice Paul Carney sentenced him to five years' imprisonment, with the final year suspended, on 29 October 2014. The man appealed against the severity of the sentence, but the Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal, finding no error in principle. Mr Justice John Edwards noted that the victim was four years younger than the offender and that the offender had literacy and numeracy difficulties at school, leaving without educational achievements. He had expressed remorse at sentencing, and the judge gave a 20% discount when suspending the final year.
A trial at the Central Criminal Court has heard how gardaí were obliged to prepare meals and change nappies for multiple children after their mother was allegedly abducted from her Longford home in November 2015. The woman alleged she was taken by her partner shortly after obtaining a barring order against him. A local sergeant testified that upon arrival at the property, gardaí encountered numerous distressed children with no adult supervision. The officer and his colleagues cared for the children until the woman's sister, whose phone battery had depleted, returned home. The accused, who is the father of the children, has pleaded not guilty to rape, false imprisonment, breaching the barring order, and producing an article, along with four counts of assault causing harm between 2011 and 2015. The complainant told the court she fled to safety during the alleged incident. The trial before Ms Justice Carmel Stewart and a jury continues.
In a 2016 hearing, a 57‑year‑old man pleaded guilty to four counts of rape and four counts of indecent assault against his four‑year‑old sister between December 1971 and October 1973. He claimed the acts were consensual, a claim the court rejected. The sister, now 49, testified that the abuse occurred two or three times a week, describing it as a "waiting game" that left her feeling imprisoned in her own body and mind. She recounted specific incidents, including being forced to perform oral sex during a family wedding and being raped while her mother was speaking to a neighbour. The court adjourned sentencing to the following Tuesday. The defendant, father of seven, had no prior convictions and was not interviewed by Gardaí after the abuse was reported to health authorities in 1994. The defense argued his juvenile status and remorse should be considered, but the court did not impose a custodial sentence at that time.
A 73‑year‑old Wexford man was sentenced to an indeterminate life term for raping his nine‑year‑old step‑granddaughter, who had helped him recover from a stroke. The victim was the fifth of the accused's victims. He already serves a 13‑year sentence for abusing his two daughters in the 1970s and 1980s and a separate term for abusing his two sons. In court the judge described how the man "groomed" the girl by showing her pornographic playing cards and giving her money before molesting and orally raping her between 2006 and 2008. He pleaded guilty to ten counts of sexual assault and oral rape. The judge noted the victim's fear of disbelief and her eventual placement in foster care, and he accepted the man's claim of being abused as a child. The life sentence will run alongside his existing 13‑year term. The case was heard in the Central Criminal Court.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a 45‑year‑old Laois man was found guilty of raping his wife on 8 January 2015. He had previously pleaded guilty to assault causing harm. During sentencing, he denied the rape verdict, claiming the woman had consented after being physically assaulted. The court heard that the attack began when the wife refused to hold his hand on the couch, leading him to punch her face and then force her into sex. The wife's victim impact statement described the assault as more traumatic than the rape, stating she felt like a ghost and had moved to a new home. The judge noted the jury's unanimous guilty verdict and the woman's profound shock. The case was adjourned for sentencing on 20 December. The defendant had no prior convictions and was described as remorseful.
In December 2016, Judge Tony Hunt sentenced 57‑year‑old Richard O'Brien to 15 years' imprisonment for raping a grandmother in Dublin on 19 March 2011. O'Brien lured the victim to a caravan, assaulted her, bit her and raped her, then fled to the UK before being extradited in 2013. He had earlier been convicted of rape and false imprisonment in 2015, receiving a six‑year sentence back‑dated to his extradition. At the 2016 sentencing, O'Brien repeatedly disrupted proceedings, calling the victim a "filthy prostitute". The judge described the harm as "very very great indeed" with long‑term damage, noting the victim's nightmares, relationship breakdown and suicidal thoughts. O'Brien's sentence was back‑dated to August 2015, with post‑release supervision for three years and a requirement to notify authorities of his address under the Sex Offenders Act. The victim's impact statement highlighted the lasting psychological and familial effects of the attack.
A 29‑year‑old woman went to the Central Criminal Court to testify that her partner, the father of their children, had subjected her to five years of extreme abuse, including beatings, confinement, and threats of death. She said he had repeatedly beaten her, locked her and the children in their apartment, flooded the premises, and urinated on her and their son. She alleged that on the night of the alleged kidnapping he drove her at speed on the wrong side of the road, threatened to kill her, and forced her into a bathtub where he threatened to drown her. The woman also claimed he had threatened to kill her and make it look like suicide, held a knife to her throat, and given her a black eye while pregnant. She obtained a barring order against him and has pleaded not guilty to rape, false imprisonment, breaching the barring order, and four counts of assault.
A woman who had been sexually abused by her uncle between 1986 and 1988, when she was aged seven to nine, had her appeal against a 10‑year conviction dismissed in its entirety. The uncle, a Tipperary man in his forties at the time, had pleaded not guilty to eight counts of indecent assault and three counts of rape. The Central Criminal Court jury found him guilty and Justice Margaret Heneghan sentenced him to 10 years in prison on 23 October 2015. In the appeal hearing, Justice Alan Mahon noted that the complainant had delayed reporting the abuse because she thought it was normal, a belief she later questioned after watching a television programme. The court rejected the appeal, stating that any inadmissible evidence regarding the complainant's conversation with a school friend had no effect on the jury's verdict. The appeal was dismissed.
In a Cork case, Hungarian national Tamas Vecernyes, aged 29, was found guilty of raping a woman in her apartment on 9 September 2009. The original 11‑year sentence, with three years suspended, was reduced to eight years with the same suspension after an appeal. The victim, a woman in her 20s, had invited Vecernyes for drinks; after she went to bed, he followed her and raped her while she was intoxicated. She described being unable to breathe and feeling paralyzed. The Court of Appeal, led by Mr Justice John Edwards, ruled that the original 11‑year headline was "unusual" and "out of kilter" with similar offences, citing the lack of premeditation and extra violence. The judge noted Vecernyes' good behaviour in prison and a positive letter from authorities, and imposed an eight‑year term with a three‑year suspension, requiring a good‑behaviour bond for the suspended period. Tamas Vecernyes pleaded not guilty.
John Prior, a 68‑year‑old former guesthouse owner, was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment after an appeal reduced his original 18‑month term. He had been found guilty of two counts of indecent assault on his 10‑year‑old niece in 1985, with three other counts unresolved. The appeal argued that the custodial sentence had caused significant financial loss, including the loss of insurance for his hospitality properties, which were used for short‑term rentals. The Court of Appeal considered the impact of the sentence on his business and, noting his charitable work, decided a 12‑month term was appropriate. Prior had accepted the jury's verdict, and the court re‑sentenced him to 12 months imprisonment. The hearing was brief and focused on the seriousness of the offences and the defendant's circumstances. John Prior pleaded not guilty.
In December 2016, a 76‑year‑old Wexford man was sentenced to 11 years' imprisonment by the Central Criminal Court for raping a teenage girl for two years, resulting in her pregnancy at age 13. The court heard that the man also sexually molested the girl's three younger sisters, who had developmental problems. The abuse began in 2004 when the victim was 11, and the man's conduct was reported by her teacher in 2006 after noticing weight gain. The victim described being raped both at the family home and in a field, and she was threatened with violence if she disclosed the abuse. The man faced 18 counts of rape and sexual assault, pleaded guilty to a sample count of rape and to sample counts of assault on the sisters, and was given concurrent sentences totaling eleven years. The judge noted the victims' vulnerability and the shocking nature of the pregnancy at age 13.
A rape victim's application to freeze a €17,000 award made to her attacker, Darius Savickis, was resolved. Savickis, a Lithuanian national, had orally raped a 23‑year‑old woman on 28 November 2005 while she walked home from work in Galway. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six years' imprisonment in 2009. While serving that sentence in Castlerea prison he was assaulted by a prison officer. A High Court jury awarded him €225 for that incident, but the Court of Appeal increased the award to €17,225. The victim applied to the High Court for a freezing order on that award, pending her civil action for damages against Savickis. Conor Power SC argued the order was needed to prevent Savickis from dissipating the award and to frustrate his attempts to avoid enforcement of any judgment. Savickis's lawyers opposed the application.
A Co Mayo man has been sentenced to two years imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court following his guilty plea to the defilement of a 16-year-old girl in June 2012, when he was 19 years old. The victim, a relative of his former partner, was described in court as a deeply innocent child who suffered significant psychological trauma following the incident. The court heard she subsequently experienced suicidal ideation and severe eating difficulties. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy rejected any characterisation of the matter as consensual activity between young people near the age of consent, stating the accused had exploited the girl in a squalid manner. The judge imposed a concurrent four-year post-release supervision order and mandated sex offender registration. The accused, who initially denied the allegations before making admissions, expressed remorse. His counsel noted he had no prior convictions and indicated positive rehabilitation since the offence.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a mother recounted the profound family rupture caused by her daughter's rape by her uncle over seven years. The victim, now 17, described how the abuse began with inappropriate touching at age seven and escalated to rape and anal rape, occurring in various family homes and a treehouse. The uncle, aged 25, pleaded guilty to three sexual assault and seven rape charges spanning 2007 to 2014. He admitted feeling guilt and contemplated suicide after each incident. The mother's statement highlighted the lasting emotional damage, noting the family's fractured relationships, especially with her grandmother. The uncle's parents supported him, while the court adjourned sentencing to December 16, with the defendant expressing a desire to be taken into custody immediately. The case underscored the enduring impact of the abuse on the victim and her family.
In a Central Criminal Court case, a 42‑year‑old man was convicted by a jury of raping his wife in May 2014 and of threatening to cut her face and to kill her the next day over the phone. He was also found guilty of attempting to cause serious harm to the woman and assaulting her mother during a hammer attack outside the mother's Dublin home on 7 August 2014. The jury could not reach a verdict on other assault and threat counts. Justice Isobel Kennedy sentenced him to 12 years for the rape, suspending the final two years, and imposed lesser concurrent sentences for the other convictions. The DPP is seeking a new trial date for the remaining assault and threat charges, which was adjourned to May 2017 to allow the accused to appeal the rape conviction. The appeal is scheduled to be heard in the same court. The case remains at the appeal stage.
A 29‑year‑old man, who claims he was suffering from sexsomnia, will stand for a third trial in 2018 for a single count of raping a friend in a Dublin apartment on 28 September 2008. He admitted he may have had sex with the woman but maintains he was asleep. The first trial collapsed in 2015 over legal issues, the second ended with a hung jury after eight hours of deliberation, and the third trial is now scheduled for January 2018. The judge has agreed to return the accused's passport for specified travel dates. The unnamed 29-year-old pleaded not guilty.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a bar manager was acquitted of rape and sexual assault after a woman claimed she was incapacitated by ketamine she mistakenly took at a party. The accused, who denied the allegations, testified that the encounter was consensual and that he did not strike the woman with his penis. The woman, who had snorted a line of ketamine thinking it was cocaine, described being unable to speak or move and later being sexually assaulted for about twenty seconds. She reported that the accused pulled down her jeans and that she was left in a comatose state. The jury deliberated for just over two hours before finding the accused not guilty of both charges. The judge thanked the jurors and released them from future service for ten years. The case had originally involved a plea of not guilty to rape and sexual assault in a Dublin apartment in November 2013.
A 23‑year‑old Kildare man, who was 15 when he committed the offences, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended. He pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault and to oral rape, all involving an 11‑year‑old girl who was blindfolded during the acts. The victim, now 19, said the abuse made her feel sick, destroyed her self‑confidence and took away her childhood. The judge noted the offender's immaturity and lack of judgment, but also that he had deliberately planned a continuous campaign of abuse. He was remorseful, had no other convictions, and had not been in contact with Gardaí since his arrest. The sentencing reflected the offender's young age and the judge's view that a longer term would have been imposed had he not been a minor at the time of the offence.
During a sentence hearing at the Central Criminal Court, Richard O'Brien, 57, was removed after repeatedly interrupting proceedings, attempting to sack his barrister and calling the victim a "filthy prostitute." O'Brien, convicted of rape, attempted rape, false imprisonment and assault causing harm, had lured the victim—a grandmother in her fifties—to a caravan in Dublin on 19 March 2011, where he raped, assaulted and bit her. He fled to the UK and was extradited in 2013. The victim, who cannot be named, described the attack as lasting for a long time, ending when two men entered the caravan and stopped O'Brien. She was later taken to a sexual assault treatment unit and gave a victim impact statement about nightmares, relationship breakdown and suicidal thoughts. The judge adjourned sentencing to 12 December, noting O'Brien's disruptive court behaviour and difficulty restraining himself. The hearing continued with his defence barrister, Damien Colgan SC, after O'Brien was removed. The case remains pending sentencing.
In a Central Criminal Court trial, a man accused of raping a woman at a party is under jury deliberation. The woman, who had mistakenly taken ketamine thinking it was cocaine, claims she was incapacitated and unable to speak or see. She alleges the accused struck her face with his penis before raping her while she lay in his bed. The accused, a bar manager, denies the assault and claims consensual sex. He has previously pleaded not guilty to rape and sexual assault. The jury, composed of eight men and four women, has heard all evidence and begun deliberations, which will resume after a recap of the woman's testimony. No verdict has been reached yet.
John Prior, 68, a retired guesthouse owner from Ballsbridge, had his conviction for molesting his niece in 1985 upheld by the Court of Appeal. The niece, aged 10 at the time, was visiting from America and stayed with Prior in a B&B in Dublin 4. In the original trial, a jury found him guilty on two of five counts of indecent assault; the remaining three counts were not agreed upon. He was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment. Prior appealed on grounds including delay and the absence of a corroboration warning to the jury. The Court of Appeal, led by Mr Justice George Birmingham, dismissed all appeal grounds, affirmed the conviction, and noted that the trial judge's discretion in not issuing a corroboration warning was lawful. Prior is scheduled to appeal his sentence the following day. John Prior pleaded not guilty.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Laura Johnston, now in her twenties, gave an emotional victim impact statement about sexual abuse by her stepfather, George Crombie, who was 47. Johnston, aged 10 to 13 during the abuse, described how Crombie put a dog lead around her neck and used a knife while assaulting her. He also threatened her that if she told her mother, "there would be murder in this flat." The abuse occurred over a three‑year period, mainly on Thursday and Saturday nights, when Crombie was drinking. Johnston said she had once believed Crombie was her real father until her mother revealed he was her stepfather. Crombie pleaded guilty to eight counts of sexual assault. The case was adjourned for sentencing next Monday.
In Waterford, a 47‑year‑old man was sentenced to 13 years' imprisonment for sexually abusing his nephew in the 1980s and raping the nephew's sister a decade later. The victims were aged four to five when the abuse began. The abuse was reported after the youngest victim approached Gardaí in 2012, followed by her brother's complaint. The brother explained that he had wanted to come forward sooner but could not find the words, and that the abuse remained secret until his sister spoke out. The sister, who was four when the abuse started, described the lasting impact, including thoughts of suicide, drug and alcohol misuse, and the difficulty of describing the trauma. She said no sentence could restore her childhood. The accused pleaded guilty to rape, oral rape, sexual assault and indecent assault between 1988 and 2003. He has a mild intellectual disability, and a doctor noted concerns about his ability to cope alone in prison.
In an appeal-stage procedural context, the Central Criminal Court addressed the sentencing of a 23-year-old Kildare man who pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault and two counts of oral rape committed against an 11-year-old victim between 2008 and 2009. The defendant, who was 15 at the time of the offences, admitted the charges in July 2016, with pleas accepted on the basis that the abuse occurred more frequently than the four listed incidents. Defence counsel Hugh Hartnett SC argued that under the 2001 Children's Act, detention must be a last resort for juveniles, urging a non-custodial sentence given the offender's age, remorse, and lack of prior convictions. Prosecution counsel Mary Rose Gearty SC highlighted the victim's testimony that the abuse destroyed her childhood and self-confidence. Mr Justice Tony Hunt acknowledged the case was "finely balanced" and distinct from typical rape sentencing, noting the Court of Appeal had recently overturned a suspended sentence for Norwegian Magnus Meyer Hustveit, who pleaded guilty to repeatedly raping his partner while she slept. Mr Justice Hunt adjourned the case to November 28 for sentence, remanding the defendant on continuing bail while explicitly stating that this bail decision was not an indication of the eventual sentence.
Brian Butler, aged 31, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment for sexually abusing his younger sister, Leanne Butler, between 2000 and 2002. Butler began the abuse at age 14 and continued until he was 17, when his sister was between nine and twelve. The court heard that Butler committed a series of offences, including sexual assault and oral rape, at their family home. Leanne testified that the abuse devastated her childhood, describing the home as a war zone and expressing feelings of fear, confusion and pain. She noted that her family was torn apart and that she had once considered death but chose to live. Butler pleaded guilty, acknowledged his wrongdoing, and had participated in therapeutic services. The judge imposed the six‑year sentence and four years of post‑release supervision, including offence‑focused work and a victim awareness programme.
In a 2016 Offaly case, Thomas Moran, aged 52, was convicted of 13 counts of indecent assault on his sister Roisin between 1981 and 1984, when she was eight. He also pleaded guilty to seven counts against sister Dolores between 1980 and 1983, when she was 12 to 15. Both sisters waived anonymity and testified. The judge, Justice Robert Eager, sentenced Moran to three years' imprisonment, with the final 12 months suspended, citing his juvenile status during much of the offending and his unlikely re‑offending. He praised the sisters' determination and bravery for reporting the abuse, which began after their father's death when Moran assumed the "man of the house" role. The sisters endured family upheaval and guilt, and only after a nervous breakdown in 2000 did Roisin report the abuse to Gardaí in 2012, following the Jimmy Saville case.
In a judgment on 11 November 2016, Mr Justice Alan Mahon dismissed an appeal against the 14‑year prison sentence imposed on a 53‑year‑old man for multiple sexual offences. The man had pleaded guilty to one count of rape and six counts of sexual assault of his sister, aged five to nine, between 1978 and 1981, and to five counts of defilement of a child, one count of oral rape and three counts of sexual assault of his niece, aged 14, between 2005 and 2007. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy had originally imposed consecutive sentences of seven years each, suspending the final two years, on 6 July 2015. The appeal argued that the judge had misjudged the gravity of the offences and ignored mitigating factors; the Court of Appeal upheld the original sentence as "reasonable and appropriate".
A rape victim has applied to the High Court for a freezing order over a €17,225 award that was granted to her attacker, Darius Savickis, by the Court of Appeal. The award was originally €225, increased by the Court of Appeal after Savickis was found liable for assaulting a prison officer while serving a six‑year sentence in Castlerea Prison. Savickis, 46, is a Lithuanian‑born father of two who pleaded guilty in 2009 to orally raping a 23‑year‑old woman in Galway. The victim, who has initiated a civil action for damages, seeks to prevent the award from being dissipated if she is successful. She alleges post‑traumatic stress disorder and claims the award was obtained under circumstances that may be statute‑barred. The High Court has granted her lawyers permission to serve short notice of the proceedings on Savickis and the matter is set to return next week.
Patrick O'Brien, a former lay worker with the Church of Ireland, was sentenced to 13 years' imprisonment for raping and molesting 14 boys over a 40‑year period. He pleaded guilty to 48 counts of indecent assault and three counts of sexual assault, with offences ranging from kissing to forceful anal penetration. The abuse occurred between 1974 and 2013 at locations including Kildare, Westmeath, a boat in Loughrea, and St Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin. O'Brien had previously received a one‑year suspended sentence in 1989 for assaulting a ten‑year‑old boy. The sentencing hearing, held over two days, included victim impact statements from 14 men aged 7 to 16, who described the abuse as predatory and pervasive.
A 31‑year‑old Dublin man, who was a teenager when he sexually abused his younger sister, will be sentenced later this month. The victim, aged nine to twelve at the time, said the abuse began after a football computer game and involved inappropriate touching, finger penetration, forced masturbation and oral rape. The incidents occurred at the family home between 2000 and 2002. The girl first reported the abuse to a school friend, leading to family and social services involvement. The accused pleaded guilty to sexual assault and oral rape at the Central Criminal Court. He had attended therapeutic services and a formal complaint was not made to Gardaí until 2013. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy remanded him in custody for finalisation of the sentence later this month. The victim, now 26, described the impact as devastating, noting that her family was torn apart and she felt blamed for what happened.
During a week‑long trial at the Central Criminal Court, a jury found a 41‑year‑old man guilty of raping his teenage daughter 61 times. The victim, who was 16 when the first rape occurred, described how her father tied her arms behind her back, placed a pillow over her face, and raped her in their parents' bedroom. She testified that the abuse continued weekly from 2008 to 2009, while she was confined to home duties and denied schooling. The man had pleaded not guilty to 84 rape counts; the jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts on 61 counts and found him not guilty on the remaining counts as directed by Mr Justice Paul Butler. He was remanded in custody for sentencing on 19 December. The judge thanked the jury and exempted them from service for ten years.
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. The military judge, Colonel Michael Campion, imposed fines, a demotion and a discharge. The soldier's counsel, Roderick O'Hanlon SC, appealed the sentence, arguing the punishment was excessive and that the judge had not considered the effect on the soldier's pension. O'Hanlon contended that the sexual assault charge concerned only the incident in the shower, while other charges related to separate incidents in the sauna and gym. The Court of Appeal heard the appeal and reserved judgment, noting that the soldier had been found guilty and that the appeal concerned only the severity of the sentence. The appeal was not yet decided.
Ukrainian taxi driver Ivan Seredych, aged 43, was convicted of sexually assaulting a 24‑year‑old woman in Dublin on 10 June 2012. He pleaded not guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court but was found guilty by a jury and sentenced to three years' imprisonment by Judge Catherine Murphy on 21 December 2015. The victim, who had been drinking and felt vulnerable after being separated from friends, was taken into a taxi where Seredych placed his hand on her thigh, touched her vagina, and exposed his penis. She recorded his name and number, directed him to drive to Raheny, and he did not request payment. Seredych's home was searched and his driver details matched those given by the complainant. His appeal against conviction was dismissed by the Court of Appeal, with Mr Justice George Birmingham ruling that the trial judge acted within her discretion in refusing to give a corroboration warning.
Kenneth Cooke, aged 53, was sentenced by Judge Patricia Ryan to a total of 18 years in prison for sexually abusing two boys. The first abuse began in 1980 when the victim was nine, involving molestation and anally raping the boy, which caused a severe stammer that took 20 years to overcome. Cooke received a nine‑year term with four years suspended for this period. The second abuse occurred between 2000 and 2003, when the victim was aged 11 to 13; Cooke was given an eleven‑year term with two years suspended. Both sentences run consecutively to his existing nine‑year sentence for a 2014 conviction of sexual abuse of a female victim. The judge noted the extreme seriousness of the offences and the lasting impact on the victims, who suffered nightmares, physical and emotional trauma, and a lifelong sense of shame and loss. The court upheld the severity of the sentence on appeal. Kenneth Cooke pleaded guilty.
Rafael Tiso, 31, was sentenced to 13 years in prison for raping and assaulting a 23‑year‑old woman in Dublin. The victim, who was heavily intoxicated after taking an ecstasy tablet, was left in a lane with severe injuries, including a deep tear to her rectum that required surgery. CCTV footage showed Tiso escorting her from a nightclub, leaving her in the lane, then returning to the bar for over an hour. He pleaded guilty to rape, oral rape, aggravated sexual assault and assault causing harm. The judge, Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, noted the violent and callous nature of the crime and the lasting impact on the victim. A final year of a 14‑year sentence was suspended on the condition that Tiso leave the State for ten years upon release. The case was heard at the Central Criminal Court.
In a Dublin rape case, a 29‑year‑old man claimed he was acting in his sleep, suffering from sexsomnia, when he allegedly raped a friend. He admitted the possibility of sex but maintained the condition. After eight hours and fifteen minutes of deliberation over three days, the jury foreman announced a deadlock, unable to reach a verdict. Justice Patrick McCarthy thanked the jurors and excused them for ten years. The case was adjourned to 28 November, when the prosecution will decide whether to seek another trial. The accused had previously pleaded not guilty to one count of rape at an apartment in Dublin on 28 September 2008. The trial, which lasted four weeks, involved testimony that the accused and victim were childhood friends who attended a career fair, later went to a nightclub, drank, and returned to a friend's house to sleep.
During a four‑week trial at the Central Criminal Court, a jury of ten was instructed by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy that a majority verdict would be sufficient. The case concerns a 29‑year‑old man who pleaded not guilty to a single count of rape. He alleges he was suffering from sexsomnia, a rare condition that can cause sexual acts while asleep, during the alleged incident on 28 September 2008. The victim, a friend, claimed she woke to find the man having sex with her and that he later admitted to raping her. She had also reported the incident to Gardaí several months later. The prosecution argued that alcohol consumption was a more likely factor than sexsomnia and that the accused's behaviour was inconsistent with the condition. The jury had been deliberating for over seven hours when the judge informed them that a majority verdict would be acceptable. The accused's name was withheld for legal reasons.
The Court of Appeal reduced the life sentence of a 40‑year‑old Dublin man, who had pleaded guilty to fourteen counts of sexual assault and defilement of an 11‑year‑old boy, to 15 years imprisonment. The man had previously been convicted of sexual offences and had avoided reporting a change of address to the sex offenders register. He had spent three years in a rehabilitation programme at Arbour Hill prison before sentencing. The Court held that his rehabilitation efforts moved the case out of the category for which a life sentence was appropriate. The Court also imposed 11‑year sentences for the sexual assault counts, to run concurrently from the original March 2014 date. The decision was based on the man's age, the duration of abuse, prior convictions and his rehabilitation work. The Court noted that the life sentence was a significant error in principle but still required a very significant sentence. The appeal was successful.
In a Dublin case, a 29‑year‑old man pleaded not guilty to a single count of rape committed at an apartment on 28 September 2008. He claimed the act was performed while he was in a state of sexsomnia, a rare condition that can cause sexual activity during sleep. The accused had consumed several drinks and a naggin of whiskey that evening before returning to a friend's house to sleep. Judge Patrick McCarthy told the jury that if the alleged sexsomnia was caused by alcohol, the defendant is not entitled to an acquittal. He explained that the prosecution must prove the accused knew the woman was not consenting or was reckless about her consent. The judge would finish summarising the evidence the following day, after which the jury of seven men and four women would deliberate. The case remains pending.
The prosecution in the trial of a 29-year-old man accused of rape has argued that it is more likely he was drunk rather than sleepwalking during the alleged incident. The accused, who cannot be named, has pleaded not guilty to one count of raping a woman at an apartment in Dublin in September 2008. The woman testified that she woke up to find the accused having sex with her. Patrick McGrath SC, prosecuting, stated that the accused's actions, including responding to her questions about a condom and discussing the morning after pill, indicated he was conscious and not sleepwalking. The prosecution rejected the claim of sexsomnia, a rare condition, and emphasized that alcohol consumption does not excuse the crime. The defence, led by Hugh Hartnett SC, argued that the accused may have been acting in his sleep, citing expert testimony on sexsomnia. The trial continues with the judge to address the jury.
In a Dublin rape trial, the 29‑year‑old accused admitted he could have had sex with a friend while sharing a bed, but the defence argued it was due to sexsomnia, a sleep‑walking condition. The defence presented expert evidence suggesting the man was asleep when he climbed on the woman, pulled up her skirt and inserted his penis. Witnesses claimed the accused had a history of groping people in his sleep. The accused pleaded not guilty to one count of rape at an apartment on 28 September 2008. A prosecution expert, Dr Harry Kennedy, countered that no objective scientific observation exists of a man initiating sex while asleep, citing a 2006 study of 31 cases with no observed instances. He questioned the plausibility of an erection during non‑REM sleep and argued the accused's actions indicated consciousness. Evidence was concluded and the jury will hear closing speeches before judgment.
A 45‑year‑old Wexford father was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment for sexually abusing his daughter over a three‑year period. He pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to sixteen counts of oral rape and sixteen counts of sexual assault between 2010 and 2013. The victim, aged between 11 and 14 at the time, was abused in the family home, with the father touching her breasts, forcing her to touch his penis, and placing his penis in her mouth, sometimes in her own bed. He also attempted to involve her in showering and rubbed his penis between her legs. The abuse was reported in 2014 after the girl alleged the assaults. Justice Isobel Kennedy described the offences as "appalling", noted the forceful nature of the behaviour and the child's fear, and suspended the final two years of the sentence on strict conditions.
A 53‑year‑old man was sentenced to four years in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for sexually assaulting two of his son's young friends on 14 occasions between 2011 and 2014. The abuse was uncovered when a parent saw Viber messages from the accused in which he said he loved the boy. After a meeting with the families, the man knelt and asked the boys for forgiveness. The families decided he would return to India until the youngest victim finished his Junior Certificate, but he returned a month early and was reported to gardaí. He pleaded guilty to 14 counts of sexual assault; the victims were aged 11 to 17. The judge noted his remorse and lack of prior convictions but condemned the repeated abuse.
Seamus Buckley, aged 57, was jailed for 12 months for 26 counts of indecent assault on a girl aged 6‑13 in the early 1980s. The sentence was imposed by Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin on 2 February 2016 at Cork Circuit Criminal Court. The Director of Public Prosecutions applied for a review, arguing the term was unduly lenient. The Court of Appeal, hearing the case on 21 October 2016, decided not to extend Buckley's custody. Justice George Birmingham noted Buckley's relationship with the victim's family, his lack of prior convictions, and his cooperation after the complaint in July 2014. He also cited mitigating factors and the fact that Buckley had already served most of his term. The court therefore substituted the original sentence with a new term of three years imprisonment, of which two years were suspended, leaving the effective custodial period unchanged. The decision was made by Justices Birmingham, Seán Ryan and Garrett Sheehan. Seamus Buckley pleaded guilty.
The Central Criminal Court has adjourned the trial of a 29‑year‑old man, who pleaded not guilty to a single count of rape, until Monday because of witness difficulties. The alleged offence occurred at an apartment in Dublin on the early hours of 28 September 2008. The jury is hearing Dr Harry Kennedy, clinical director of the Central Mental Hospital, as a rebuttal witness for the prosecution. Dr Kennedy will continue his testimony on Monday before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury of eight men and four women.
Patrick O'Brien, a former Church of Ireland lay worker, was sentenced for raping and molesting 14 boys over 30 years. He pleaded guilty to 48 counts of indecent assault, including anal penetration, and three counts of sexual assault between 1977 and 2010 at locations such as Kildare, Westmeath, a boat in Loughrea, and St Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin. O'Brien, aged 76, had a prior one‑year suspended sentence for a 1989 sex assault. The sentencing hearing, held over two days, included victim impact reports from 14 men, some of whom described long‑term emotional and social harm. The court noted O'Brien's guilty plea, his completion of 312 hours of group psychotherapy, and his voluntary apology. He was remanded in continuing custody until the next hearing on 10 November. The victims remain anonymous. The case highlights the prolonged abuse and its lasting effects on the survivors.
Patrick O'Brien, 76, a former lay worker with the Church of Ireland, is due to be sentenced for the rape and molestation of 14 boys over 30 years. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to 48 counts of indecent assault, including anal penetration and three counts of sexual assault between 1977 and 2010 at various locations such as Kildare, Westmeath, a boat in Loughrea, and St Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin where he volunteered. The sentencing hearing, held over two days, included victim impact reports from four men, some of whom chose not to have their statements read. The court heard that O'Brien abused the boys in cars, at his yacht, and in his office, often after visiting their parents. He also performed oral sex and forced victims to perform it on him. The hearing will continue tomorrow before Judge Melanie Greally.