Courts / Ireland / Report
Sex assault conviction quashed after juror found to be related to previous victim
Summary
The Court of Appeal quashed a man's conviction for sexual assault and ordered a retrial after discovering that one of the jurors who found him guilty was related to the victim in a separate defilement case. The man had previously pleaded guilty to defiling a child and was serving that sentence when he was tried for sexual assault at a circuit criminal court. The jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict. After the trial, relatives of the defendant informed his legal team that a juror was a relative of the child‑defilement victim. The judge instructed the Gardaí to investigate, and they confirmed the relationship. The defendant's legal team appealed, arguing that the conviction was unsafe and that he was entitled to an unbiased jury. The State did not oppose the appeal.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Sex assault conviction quashed after juror found to be related to previous victim. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- 2020-07-03 Publication
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: He was already serving a sentence for defiling a child, an offence to which he had previously pleaded guilty.; They quashed the conviction, directed a retrial and remanded the man in custody to the same circuit court.
Places mentioned
- Court of Appeal
Topics
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