'House of Horrors' abuser claims eight year sentence was disproportionate

A man convicted of sexually abusing three of his siblings has appealed his eight-year sentence as disproportionate. Gerry Harte, aged 72, of Tullynacrunat North, Castleblayney, County Monaghan, pleaded guilty to 15 counts of indecent assault against two younger sisters and a younger brother during the 1970s and 1980s. The Central Criminal Court imposed the sentence in October 2024. At the Court of Appeal, Harte's counsel argued the sentence breached proportionality principles, as the original charges fell under legislation carrying a maximum term of two years. The defence contended that imposing consecutive sentences both within and across victims effectively circumvented the statutory ceiling, resulting in a sentence four times the legal maximum. The Director of Public Prosecutions countered that the trial judge properly considered each victim's circumstances and the persistent nature of the offending. Justice Isobel Kennedy reserved judgment on the appeal.