Courts / Dublin / Report
Jail term cut for man who abused sister as a teenager
Summary
Brian Butler, aged 32, pleaded guilty in the Central Criminal Court to sexually assaulting and orally raping his younger sister between January 2000 and December 2002, when he was 14 to 17 and she was nine to twelve. The abuse was discovered after the sister confided in a friend, leading to family notification and social services involvement. Butler attended therapeutic services for child sex offenders, and a formal complaint was made to the Gardaí in 2013. In November 2016, Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy sentenced him to six years' imprisonment with four years of post‑release supervision, including participation in sexual offenders programmes. On appeal, the Court of Appeal quashed the original sentence and imposed a new six‑year term, suspending the final two years, citing insufficient consideration of Butler's rehabilitation progress and mitigating factors. The headline sentence remained eight years, deemed appropriate for a minor offender with aggravating circumstances.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Jail term cut for man who abused sister as a teenager. Charges or matters: sexual assault and oral rape of his sister at their family home on dates between January 2000 and December 2002. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- January 2000 Incident
- December 2002 Incident
- November 2016 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2018-01-26 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: sexual assault and oral rape of his sister at their family home on dates between January 2000 and December 2002 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: In November 2016, Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy sentenced Butler to six years imprisonment including four years post release supervision to include participation in sexual offenders programs. He had the final two years of a new six-year sentence suspended following a successful appeal today, with the Court of Appeal holding that there was nothing in the sentence to incentivise his continued rehabilitation.
Places mentioned
- Central Criminal Court
- The Central Criminal Court
- Court of Appeal
Topics
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