A former priest and Irish Times columnist has been sentenced to four years imprisonment following conviction for multiple sexual assaults on a schoolboy in the late 1990s. Barry Fergal Jennings, aged 56, of Cloonkeerin, French Park, County Roscommon, was unanimously convicted by jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in March of six counts of sexual assault committed between September 1998 and December 1999. At the time, Jennings served as chaplain at a Dublin community school. The court heard evidence that the assaults occurred at various locations, including the victim's home and within the school premises. In her victim impact statement, the man described severe and lasting trauma, including suicide attempts, substance abuse, and diagnosed PTSD. Judge Patricia Ryan noted the serious abuse of trust inherent in the offence and the significant age disparity involved. She acknowledged mitigating factors including Jennings' previous good standing but determined that a custodial sentence was unavoidable. The sentence was backdated to account for time already served.
Kevin Joyce, aged 25, of Skerries, Co Dublin, was sentenced by Judge Melanie Greally at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to eight years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended. The sentence covers six unprovoked violent offences committed between May 2017 and January 2021, including a sustained sexual assault. Joyce pleaded guilty to attacks on friends and strangers, such as striking a friend in May 2017, punching Ronan Murphy in August 2017, assaulting three young people while on bail, and attacking a woman in a public park. He also punched a man on Grafton Street in March 2020, breaking the man's jaw, and used a bottle to knock a friend unconscious in January 2021. The judge noted Joyce's remorse, his placement on the Sex Offenders' Register, and ordered him to attend programmes for sexual offending and addiction, and to engage with probation services for two years upon release. The sentence was back‑dated to January 2021.
An 84‑year‑old man was sentenced to 21 months' imprisonment for sexually abusing his granddaughter, who was aged between seven and eight at the time of the assaults in summer 2014. The attacks occurred in the grandfather's home, a shed and his car while the child's grandmother was away. The court heard that the victim, now 16, had made a voluntary statement in 2018 and had not denied the accusations. He pleaded guilty in December 2021 to one count of sexual assault of a minor. Judge Martin Nolan described the case as "pretty sad" and noted the repeated nature of the misconduct, the victim's courage, and the defendant's acceptance of responsibility. The sentence was imposed after the judge considered the man's age, cooperation with Gardaí, and the likelihood of re‑offending. The defendant is now isolated from his family.
A 46‑year‑old man was jailed for 13 years after a jury convicted him in February 2019 of three counts of sexual assault and nine counts of anal rape against his daughter, who was seven when the attacks began. He failed to lodge an appeal within the 28‑day limit and has now applied for an Enlargement of Time to appeal his conviction and sentence. His counsel argued that the man had been denied access to the trial transcript and that extreme circumstances justified the extension. The Court of Appeal, hearing the application, noted that the man's former solicitor had informed him of insufficient grounds for appeal but that he could still seek new counsel. The case was adjourned until 24 June, with the court granting limited access to the transcript. The unnamed man pleaded not guilty.
A Polish man has been sentenced to four years' imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court after pleading guilty to rape. Rafal Stojanowski, aged 36, admitted raping a woman on 27 October 2018 at a house in County Monaghan where he was staying during a visit to Ireland for a birthday celebration. He pleaded guilty on the basis that he was reckless as to whether the woman consented. The victim stated she had fallen asleep and awoke to find him sexually assaulting her. She told him to stop and attempted to resist, but he did not cease until he ejaculated. Mr Justice Paul McDermott imposed the sentence, backdating it by 12 months to account for time already spent in custody. The judge acknowledged the significant impact on the victim and considered mitigating factors including Stojanowski's guilty plea, expression of remorse, absence of prior convictions, and low assessed risk of reoffending. The court heard evidence that no violence or threats were employed during the offence.
A man has been convicted and sentenced at the Central Criminal Court for the rape of a teenage girl at a rural gathering in County Leitrim in July 2020. The 27-year-old, whose identity is protected to safeguard the victim, was found guilty by jury verdict following trial in February 2022 of rape and oral rape charges dating to between 11 and 12 July 2020. He had pleaded not guilty to both counts. The court heard the girl, then 16 years old, was asleep in a tent when the accused carried her to another location where the offences occurred. She was examined at a sexual assault treatment unit and found to have extensive injuries. Mr Justice Michael MacGrath imposed a sentence of six and a half years, with the final fifteen months suspended on conditions including that the accused have no contact with the victim through any means.
In 2022, the Central Criminal Court sentenced Ian Ryan to three years' imprisonment for raping a 13‑year‑old girl in 1986. The case was brought to court after a 2021 anonymous letter prompted a Garda investigation. Ryan, then 18, had begun a relationship with the girl, who was 13, after meeting her at a disco in a rugby club. The court heard that the couple met at the victim's family home while her parents were away, and that Ryan asked her to use a condom, which she declined. He then forced sexual intercourse, which she described as painful and non‑consensual. The victim later became pregnant in December 1986. Ryan pleaded guilty in December 2021 to a separate rape charge. The judge, citing Ryan's age and background, imposed a four‑year sentence with the final year suspended, requiring participation in alcohol and violence‑prevention programmes and no contact with the victim. The victim, aged 50, waived her anonymity.
Kevin Brazil, aged 52, was sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to five and a half years' imprisonment for sexual assault and related offences committed between January 2019 and August 2020. The court found that Brazil had driven a 13‑year‑old boy in his car, given the boy money, cigarettes and alcohol, and on occasions invited him to stay at his home. Brazil also pleaded guilty to communicating by technology with a child to facilitate sexual exploitation. The judge re‑activated two years of a previously suspended three‑year term and imposed a consecutive term of three and a half years, making the total term five and a half years. Brazil is currently serving a term that is due to expire on 24 November. The case was brought by the prosecution after Garda investigations revealed Brazil's extensive history of child sexual assault, including 33 prior convictions. The judge praised the Gardaí for their work in apprehending Brazil.
A 27‑year‑old man, whose identity is protected, was convicted of a single count of rape on 15 November 2021 after being charged on 7 November 2018. He pleaded not guilty but accepted the jury verdict. At his sentencing hearing, he maintained he was unaware the victim had not consented. The victim, aged 21 at the time, described the man as a close friend and protector in a victim impact statement read by Eilis Brennan SC. She said the rape shattered her, turning her from a confident, outgoing person into a cautious one, and caused psychological damage, though no physical injury occurred. The incident took place in her bedroom after the man had returned from a pub and was making food. The man stopped when she said "No, I don't want that", and they both fell asleep. The victim later told a friend, and the man admitted the act in text exchanges.
Thomas Larkin, a 70‑year‑old pensioner from Ardee, Co. Louth, was sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment for sexually abusing a 15‑year‑old boy between January 1999 and June 2000. Larkin, who was 47 at the time of the offences, pleaded guilty to four counts of gross indecency. The victim, whose name is withheld for anonymity, came forward after the Jimmy Savile case prompted him to recall the abuse. Larkin had groomed the boy, giving him cigarettes and sweets, and performed acts of sexual abuse including masturbation and one instance of oral sex. He had instructed the boy not to disclose the abuse. The judge noted the victim's life, relationships and work had been severely affected, and imposed the custodial sentence to reflect the seriousness of the exploitative conduct. The sentence was handed down by Judge Melanie Greally.
The Court of Appeal has dismissed the appeals of two men in their twenties against their convictions for raping a young woman. The first accused, who pleaded not guilty to raping the complainant at an address in a town in the west of Ireland in 2017, and his co-accused, who pleaded not guilty to the oral rape of the same woman at the same time and place, were found guilty by a jury at the Central Criminal Court in November 2019. Ms Justice Eileen Creedon sentenced both men to seven years' imprisonment. In a written judgment, Court President Mr Justice George Birmingham rejected the first appellant's arguments that the trial judge failed to distinguish his case from his co-accused's and omitted a corroboration warning. The second appellant's claim that the State failed to preserve evidence by not seizing his clothing was also dismissed as contrived. The court affirmed the convictions, noting that the jury had considered the separate matters and rejected the defences. The appeals were heard by Brendan Grehan SC and Colm Smyth SC for the appellants, and Eilis Brennan SC for the DPP.
In a Central Criminal Court trial, a 38‑year‑old man was found guilty by a majority jury of sexually assaulting a woman while she slept. The defendant had pleaded not guilty to sexual assault at a south Dublin location on the early morning of 13 May 2018. The complainant, who was with a roommate, met the defendant at a city centre pub on 12 May 2018 and later at his home. After initial kissing and a conversation, they moved to his bedroom where the defendant digitally penetrated her and performed oral sex. She refused to perform oral sex on him and he demanded ejaculation inside her. She fell asleep, woke to find him on top of her and groping her breasts, and told him to stop. She stated she had not consented to any activity while asleep. The jury deliberated for just under eight and a half hours before returning a guilty verdict.
The Court of Appeal has rejected an appeal against the severity of a sentence imposed on an unnamed 67-year-old man for sexual assault. In November 2020, at Sligo Circuit Criminal Court, the appellant pleaded guilty to 23 counts of sexual assault committed against a victim between September 1999 and May 2011. Judge Francis Comerford sentenced him to twelve-and-a-half years, with four years suspended, resulting in an effective custodial term of eight-and-a-half years. The appellant, who suffered from ill-health, argued that the sentence was excessive and contained an error in principle. His counsel, Eileen O'Leary SC, highlighted mitigating factors including his early guilty plea, admissions to TUSLA before a Garda complaint, lack of prior convictions, and a public apology. The Director of Public Prosecutions, represented by Leo Mulrooney BL, countered that the abuse was serious, occurring in the appellant's car, home, and a garden shed, causing the victim severe psychological harm. In an ex tempore judgment delivered by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, sitting with Mr Justice George Birmingham and Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, the court found the sentence fell within the judge's margin of appreciation. The judges noted the appellant had been "living a lie" while serving as a Minister of the Eucharist and concluded that no error in principle was made in imposing the custodial term.
In the trial, the 17‑year‑old victim recounted a night of repeated sexual assault by six men. She was lured into a car after a taxi wait, where she was forced into the back seat and subjected to molestation and rape by Gabriel Gomes Da Rocha, Marcos Vinicius De Silva Umbelino, Conor Byrne, Ethan Nikolaou, Eduardo Dias Ferreira Filho, and a fifth unnamed man. The victim described being coerced into touching a man's genitals, forced oral sex, and being prevented from leaving the vehicle. She reported feeling shocked, paralyzed, and crying throughout the assaults. The court heard CCTV footage of her running to a friend's house after the final assault. The defendants were convicted of various sexual assault and rape charges, with one defendant pleading guilty before trial. The case highlighted the victim's lack of escape options and the men's coordinated abuse.
The Court of Appeal has dismissed the appeal of an unnamed 71-year-old man, upholding his conviction for three counts of sexual assault contrary to Section 2 of the Criminal Law (Rape) (Amendment) Act 1991. The appellant was originally convicted by a jury at Wexford Circuit Criminal Court in June 2019, following a trial presided over by Judge Cormac Quinn. He was sentenced to six years' imprisonment, with the final 12 months suspended, resulting in an effective custody period of five years. The charges related to alleged assaults on his nine-year-old granddaughter, who was babysitting at his home between 2015 and 2016. The appellant challenged the conviction on two grounds: first, that the trial judge failed to issue a corroboration warning regarding the complainant's uncorroborated evidence; and second, that the judge erred by not directing a verdict of not guilty for assaults occurring prior to a specific wedding night. In a judgment delivered by Ms Justice Úna Ní Raifeartaigh, sitting with Mr Justice John Edwards and Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, the appellate court rejected both submissions. The court found the trial judge was within his discretion to omit the corroboration warning, noting the complainant's evidence was not vague or unusual. Furthermore, the court determined it was proper for the trial judge to leave the case to the jury based on the totality of the evidence, rather than removing it. Consequently, the conviction stands.
In a Central Criminal Court trial, a jury convicted four men of multiple sexual assaults during a gang rape of a 17‑year‑old girl on 27 December 2016. The girl was taken in a car by five men after she was separated from friends. While traveling, she was repeatedly groped and molested. The car was parked at a remote spot where two men raped her consecutively, then the car returned to town and was parked again. The girl attempted to leave; two men prevented her, one raped her again, and another orally raped her. After nine hours of deliberation, the jury found Marcos Vinicius De Silva Umbelino (22), Eduardo Dias Ferreira Filho (24), Gabriel Gomes Da Rocha (24) and Ethan Nikolaou (23) guilty of various charges, including rape and sexual assault. A fifth man, Conor Byrne (24), pleaded guilty to rape. All verdicts were unanimous.
The jury in the Central Criminal Court trial of four men accused of raping and sexually assaulting a 17‑year‑old girl in a car will continue deliberating into a fourth day. The alleged assault began on 27 December 2016 when the girl, separated from friends after a night‑out, entered a car with five men. The car travelled along backroads to a remote location where three defendants, and a fifth man not on trial, allegedly raped her one after another. The girl said she asked to be let out of the car but was ignored, and that one man raped her again while a fourth man forced his penis into her mouth. The defendants, aged between 17 and 19 at the time, deny all charges. The jury has deliberated for a little over eight hours since Monday afternoon, after 19 days of trial.
Three victims of sexual abuse by Iosach O Riain, aged 62, testified that the assaults, which occurred in their beds while they slept, had devastating effects on their lives. O Riain pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual assault, including an attack on a seven‑year‑old girl in 1978‑79, an assault on a six‑year‑old boy in 1978, and a molestation of a 15‑year‑old boy in 1995 after a family funeral. The victims described feelings of suffocation, fear, and shame, and reported long‑term impacts such as difficulty with intimacy, substance use, and self‑destructive behaviour. The judge set a headline sentence of 18 months for each offence but imposed a 12‑month custodial sentence, suspending the final three months on strict conditions, and registered O Riain as a sex offender. The victims did not wish to receive his letters of remorse.
The jury in the Central Criminal Court trial of four men accused of raping and sexually assaulting a 17‑year‑old girl will continue deliberations tomorrow. The alleged offence occurred on 27 December 2016 when the girl, separated from friends after a night‑out in a midlands town, entered a car with five men. The car travelled along backroads to a remote location where the defendants allegedly sexually assaulted her. Three of the defendants, and a fifth man not on trial, allegedly raped her at the remote site, one after another. The car was then driven to another location where the girl was dropped off at a house and later the car was driven again. The girl said she asked to be let out of the car but was ignored; one man raped her a second time while a fourth man forced his penis into her mouth.
In a court hearing on 5 April 2022, a 22‑year‑old man pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the sexual assault of a child and to producing child pornography. He was 18 at the time of the offences, which involved a 15‑year‑old boy who was rendered unconscious by a pain‑relief drug (Penthrox) that the accused had stolen. The drug was administered through a modified "green whistle" and an oxygen mask, after which the accused sexually assaulted the boy. The accused also filmed the assault and the drug administration. A 31‑year‑old co‑accused pleaded guilty to oral rape of a boy, sexual exploitation, and the production of child pornography. He admitted stealing a vial of Penthrox and a carbon dioxide chamber from Naas Racecourse.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a 41‑year‑old man was sentenced to 27 months' imprisonment, with the final 12 months suspended, for sexually assaulting his best friend at his Wicklow home on 20 November 2020. The victim, who had trusted the man and described the assault as a severe violation of trust, was taken to a sexual assault treatment unit after the incident. The man pleaded guilty, admitted the wrongdoing, and expressed regret, shame and remorse. Judge Melanie Greally noted his early guilty plea and cooperation, his status as a registered sex offender, and the aggravating factors, and imposed a two‑year probation supervision order and required participation in the Safer Lives programme. The court also considered the victim's impact statement and the defendant's lack of prior convictions. The sentencing reflected principles of rehabilitation, personal deterrence and general deterrence. The man's conviction was the first in his criminal record.
In the gang‑rape trial of four men charged with assaulting a 17‑year‑old girl in December 2016, the jury began deliberations after a three‑week evidence period. The defendants, aged 17 to 19 at the time, deny the charges but admit some sexual acts occurred, claiming the victim consented. The prosecution alleges the girl was taken in a car, forced into sexual acts at a remote location, and repeatedly raped, with one man also forcing his penis into her mouth. The jury was instructed to consider each alleged offence separately, determine whether the prosecution proved beyond a reasonable doubt that the acts occurred and that the victim did not consent, and assess the defendants' knowledge or recklessness regarding consent. The jury was sent home at 4 pm to resume deliberations the next day. The trial is ongoing.
In a trial for a gang‑rape case, four men aged 17‑19 are accused of sexually assaulting a 17‑year‑old girl in a car on 27 December 2016. The defendants deny all charges. Lawyers urged jurors not to make moral judgments, arguing that the defendants believed the girl was consenting. The prosecution alleged the girl was forced into sexual acts, including rape, at a remote location and again in the town. The defence highlighted inconsistencies in the girl's statements, her attempts to leave the car, and the defendants' claims of consent. The case is still pending; Justice Tara Burns will charge the jury on Monday. No verdict or sentencing has been announced.
The Court of Appeal heard that a 59‑year‑old man, whose name is withheld to protect his adult daughter, was convicted of raping his special‑needs daughter and sentenced to 11 years in prison. The conviction followed a Central Criminal Court jury verdict in July 2019. The man was found to have raped his daughter twice in her bedroom when she was 22, after asking her whether she loved him or her mother more, and also sexually assaulted her on the same occasion. Earlier, he had sexually assaulted her and forced her to perform oral sex when she was 13 or 14 while she slept in the same bed as a friend. He was convicted on five charges, including rape, oral rape and sexual assault, covering incidents from January 2003 to December 2004 and a separate incident in January 2011. He denied the charges and appealed.
A man aged 67 has appealed his sentence at the Court of Appeal following conviction for sexually assaulting a victim over a 12-year period beginning when she was ten years old. He was sentenced to 12.5 years, with four years suspended, at Sligo Circuit Criminal Court in November 2020 after pleading guilty to 23 counts of sexual assault committed between September 1999 and May 2011. His legal representative argued the eight-year custodial term was excessive and disproportionate, citing his early guilty plea and absence of prior convictions. The Director of Public Prosecutions submitted the sentence appropriately reflected the severity of the abuse, which occurred in various locations including the appellant's vehicle, home, and garden shed. The victim reported experiencing lasting psychological harm, including anxiety and self-harm. The three-judge court has reserved judgment on the appeal.
In the Central Criminal Court, four men aged 17 to 19 plead not guilty to raping a 17‑year‑old girl on 27 December 2016. The prosecution alleges the men sexually assaulted her while driving a car out of a midlands town to a remote location, where three of them raped her and another forced his penis into her mouth. The girl said she asked to leave the car but was ignored, and one man raped her a second time while another forced his penis into her mouth. The defendants deny all charges. Ms Justice Tara Burns directed the jury to find one man not guilty of rape at the remote location, though he faces a separate charge of oral rape later that night. The trial continues under her direction. The father of one defendant gave evidence about the day's events, and a paediatric consultant testified about a penile skin condition that could make erections painful.
The trial of four men accused of raping a teenage girl at the Central Criminal Court has heard forensic evidence regarding semen found on their clothing. The defendants, aged 17 to 19 at the time, have pleaded not guilty to charges including rape and sexual assault alleged to have occurred on December 27, 2016. A fifth man is not before the court. On day 14, forensic scientist Dr Laura Flanagan testified that underwear belonging to the driver contained semen from two individuals: the driver and a third defendant. During garda interviews, the driver denied penetrative sex, claiming he did not ejaculate, while the third defendant initially stated he was the first to have sex with the complainant. The driver later admitted lying in earlier statements but maintained his denial of intercourse. Another defendant, whose semen was found on his underpants and the complainant's top, told gardai he masturbated away from the car and denied any sexual contact with the victim. The garda witness confirmed the driver was charged in April 2018 and remanded on bail, with permission to travel for medical purposes. The matter is ongoing before Ms Justice Tara Burns and a jury.
The Central Criminal Court has opened a trial for a 38‑year‑old man, who cannot be named, who has pleaded not guilty to one count of rape and one count of sexual assault. The alleged offences took place at an unknown residence in south Dublin on the early hours of 13 May 2018. Prosecutor Michael Delaney SC presented the case that the accused met the victim at a city‑centre pub on 12 May, where they later went to another bar, kissed and then the accused invited the victim to his home. The victim, who was sleeping, allegedly woke to find the accused on top of her, groping her breasts, and later again on top of her engaging in sexual activity. She claimed she resisted, pushed him off, and said the act amounted to rape. The accused allegedly apologized, claimed drunkenness, and said he was ashamed.
The trial of four men accused of raping a 17-year-old girl on December 27, 2016, continues before Ms Justice Tara Burns and a jury at the Central Criminal Court. The defendants, aged 17 to 19 at the time, have pleaded not guilty to charges including rape, sexual assault, and false imprisonment. A fifth man is not before the court. On day 13, the jury heard evidence from the arrest and interview of a third defendant, now 24. During questioning, he alleged the complainant consented, stating she initiated sex and did not resist. However, he later admitted to gardaí that he and the others "took advantage" of the teenager and acknowledged it was "wrong." He expressed regret, stating he would tell the complainant, "sorry, try to forgive us." The defendant also admitted to lying about how the complainant entered the vehicle, claiming he was afraid. He stated that the group had agreed to tell the truth to gardaí. Evidence included a Snapchat message sent at 5am, whose contents could not be retrieved. The trial is ongoing, with no final verdict or sentence recorded.
A 35‑year‑old Dublin man was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment for a violent, degrading rape of his girlfriend, following a prior conviction for assaulting her. He had pleaded guilty to assault and was convicted on all charges of anal, oral, and two other rapes, plus sexual assault. The judge imposed a concurrent 13‑year sentence, with the final three years suspended, and a seven‑year post‑release supervision order. The court described the man's behaviour as "entrenched distorted" and "controlling", noting his willingness to engage in prison courses and his lack of alcohol abuse. The judge highlighted the severity of the physical assault and the victim's ongoing trauma, and expressed concerns about the offender's capacity for empathy. The sentence was back‑dated to the end of his earlier two‑year term for assaulting his former partner. The unnamed 35-year-old pleaded not guilty.
A 42‑year‑old man was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment for offences committed when he was a teenager. He was convicted at the Central Criminal Court of four counts of oral rape and eight counts of sexual assault against a boy in foster care, aged 11‑14, and four counts of sexual assault against the boy's older brother, aged 12‑13. The crimes occurred in the defendant's family home in Offaly between May 1995 and December 1998. The judge, Justice Deirdre Murphy, sentenced him as a juvenile, noting his low intellectual functioning and the fact that he was 15‑17 at the time of the offences. She also considered his acknowledgement of guilt, his productive life since the offences, and the authorities' failure to act on a 2001 complaint. The sentence was four years for each rape count and 18 months for the assault counts, with the final two and a half years suspended on strict conditions.
Kevin Brazil, 52, was caught driving a 13‑year‑old boy in his car four days after a suspended sentence for sexually abusing another child. The boy was given money, cigarettes, alcohol and was invited to stay at Brazil's home, where Brazil offered the boy money for sexual acts. Brazil had previously received a three‑year suspended sentence in July 2020 for sexual assault offences dating back to 2002, and in 2021 was sentenced to two‑and‑a‑half years' imprisonment for the sexual assault of a 12‑year‑old child in Dublin. He also pleaded guilty to sexual assault and communication with a child for sexual exploitation between 2019 and 2020. The court heard that the boy's mother reported the abuse three days after the incident. No victim impact statements were presented. Judge Elma Sheahan remanded Brazil in custody and adjourned the case for finalisation on 26 April.
A Garda witness denied that investigators were "ballyragging" a suspect held for questioning over an alleged rape of a 17‑year‑old girl by five men. Four of the men are on trial at the Central Criminal Court and have pleaded not guilty to raping the girl on the night of 27 December 2016. The prosecution alleges the girl was taken in a car to a midlands location where the five men raped her "one after another". The four defendants, aged 22 to 24, also face charges of sexual assault and, for three, false imprisonment. The jury heard six Garda interviews of the fourth accused over two days in March 2017. During cross‑examination, the defence counsel claimed the accused admitted a sexual act after 16 minutes of silence in an interview room, alleging the Garda had pressured him.
Erin O'Brien, aged 25, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for a second sexual offence involving a nine‑year‑old boy. The offence, committed on 20 September 2018 when O'Brien was 22, involved showing child pornography, touching the boy's genitals, instructing the boy to touch O'Brien's penis, and offering the child money for anal sex, which the boy refused. O'Brien pleaded guilty to a single count of sexual assault. The 30‑month term will run concurrently with a five‑year sentence he is already serving for a similar offence against another child. The court noted the offer of cash as the most serious aggravating factor and highlighted the victim's changed state and ongoing counselling. O'Brien must comply with post‑release supervision, avoid contact with the victim, and refrain from unsupervised access to children. The sentence is back‑dated to the date of his guilty plea.
In a Central Criminal Court trial, four men aged 22‑24, charged with raping a 17‑year‑old girl in a Midlands car on 27 December 2016, pleaded not guilty. The prosecution alleged the girl was taken to a location where the men raped her one after another. The defendants also face sexual assault and false imprisonment charges. During the trial, the fourth accused, 18 at the time, admitted in a later interview that he had seen the girl on a footpath, offered her a lift, and that she was later taken to a location where she was "grabbed and groped" by all men in the car. He claimed he knew she was not consenting and that he had felt it was wrong, stating he had "knew what he did was wrong." The trial continues before Ms Justice Tara Burns and a jury.
William Dollard, aged 32, was convicted of sexual assault and attempted anal rape of a 61‑year‑old homeless man on 30 May 2017 in Co Cork. A jury found him guilty and he was sentenced in June 2020 to five years and six months, with 18 months suspended, by Mr Justice Paul McDermott. Dollard appealed both the conviction and the sentence. The appeal against the conviction was dismissed, but the Court of Appeal reduced his custodial term by one year, leaving him with a three‑year custodial sentence. The Court of Appeal also increased the suspended portion to two years and six months. The judge noted that Dollard had become homeless and was on the margins of society, and that the arrest under Section 24 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994 was lawful. Dollard is set to be released from custody imminently after serving just over three years.
The Central Criminal Court trial of four men accused of raping a then 17-year-old girl in the midlands on December 27, 2016, continued before Justice Tara Burns and a jury. All four accused, who cannot be named, have pleaded not guilty to the primary charge of rape. The first accused (22) also faces charges of two counts of sexual assault and false imprisonment; the second accused (24) faces two counts of sexual assault, oral rape, and false imprisonment; the third accused (24) faces an additional count of rape, two counts of sexual assault, and false imprisonment; and the fourth accused (23) faces three counts of sexual assault. The prosecution case alleges the complainant was driven to a location where she was raped by the four accused and a fifth man not before the courts. During the trial, the jury heard memos of gardaí interviews. The first accused stated he deleted messages and blocked the complainant on Facebook because he was scared. He admitted to touching her but claimed he did not have sex with her, stating he did not have the guts. He expressed a desire to ask the complainant to forgive him. The second accused denied having sex with the complainant, claiming she consented to kissing and that he did not complete oral sex because he found it nasty. He stated that letting the complainant into the car was his biggest regret. The matter is currently at the sentence stage of the trial proceedings, with the trial continuing.
Richard O'Mara, aged 33, was convicted of two counts of rape against a teenage schoolgirl at his sister's 18th birthday party in 2015. He received a 14‑year sentence with the final two years suspended by Ms Justice Tara Burns. O'Mara appealed to reduce the sentence, arguing it was too long, but the Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal. Justice Úna Ní Raifeartaigh noted the appellant had few mitigating factors, no guilty plea, no remorse, and a heart condition, and that the suspended portion had already been considered. The court upheld the original sentence, stating it was within the judge's discretion and not unduly high. O'Mara's barrister argued for a greater reduction, citing his client's good character and lack of prior convictions, but the appeal was rejected. The case remains at the sentencing stage. Richard O'Mara pleaded not guilty.
The Central Criminal Court trial of four men accused of raping a 17-year-old girl in the midlands on December 27, 2016, continues before Justice Tara Burns and a jury. All four accused, aged between 22 and 24, have pleaded not guilty to the charges. The first accused (22) faces rape, two counts of sexual assault, and false imprisonment. The second accused (24) is charged with rape, two counts of sexual assault, oral rape, and false imprisonment. The third accused (24) faces an additional count of rape, two counts of sexual assault, and false imprisonment. The fourth accused (23) is charged with three counts of sexual assault. Prosecution counsel Lorcan Staines SC read interview memos where the first accused stated he believed the complainant might report the incident to gardaí. He alleged she was intoxicated and did not explicitly stop him, though he denied having sex with her, claiming he only touched her leg, belly, and breast. He admitted to deleting messages regarding the complainant's passport due to fear. The prosecution alleges the complainant was driven to a location where she was assaulted by the four accused and a fifth man not before the court. The trial is ongoing.
The Court of Appeal heard arguments today regarding the lawfulness of the arrest of William Dollard, who is appealing his conviction for the sexual assault and attempted anal rape of a 61-year-old victim in Co Cork on May 30, 2017. Dollard, who pleaded not guilty, was found guilty by a jury at the Central Criminal Court. His legal team argued that his arrest under Section 24 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994 was unlawful, contending it was a "colourful device" to secure his availability for potential complaints rather than addressing an immediate danger. They further claimed the subsequent seizure of his clothing rendered the evidence inadmissible. The Director of Public Prosecutions countered that the arrest was lawful, citing CCTV footage showing Dollard making thrusting motions against the victim, which informed the garda's decision. The prosecution noted the victim was intoxicated and unclear, making the CCTV crucial evidence. Judgment has been reserved. At the original sentencing, Mr Justice McDermott acknowledged the victim's vulnerability and Dollard's alcohol abuse and social isolation. He set a headline sentence of six years for the attempted anal rape but imposed a final sentence of five years and six months, with the last 18 months suspended for two years.
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, a doctor testified that a medical examination of a 17‑year‑old girl, conducted five hours after alleged assaults on 27 December 2016, revealed bruises on her knee and calves, swelling and lacerations of the labia majora, bruising of the labia minora and perineum, and bleeding of the inner vaginal wall. Swabs and clothing were taken for forensic analysis. The doctor concluded that the injuries were consistent with non‑consensual sexual intercourse. The four men, aged 22 to 24, all pleaded not guilty to rape, sexual assault, and false imprisonment charges. The trial, presided over by Ms Justice Tara Burns with a jury, continues to consider these allegations. The prosecution maintains that the girl was taken in a car with the men and raped "one after another" at a midlands location on the same date. The defendants' legal teams have not disputed the medical findings presented.
The Court of Appeal has dismissed the appeal of an unnamed 62-year-old man from the west of Ireland, upholding his conviction for the rape of his god-daughter. The appellant, who pleaded not guilty, was originally convicted by a jury at the Central Criminal Court in June 2020 of two counts of indecently assaulting and two counts of raping the victim, who was also his cousin, at her family home on unknown dates between 1982 and 1984. Ms Justice Carmel Stewart sentenced him to nine years' imprisonment. In his appeal, the man argued that the jury's verdict was unsafe and the trial unfair, citing alleged inconsistencies in the complainant's evidence and claiming the trial judge erred by failing to discharge the jury or properly instruct them on the significant delay between the alleged offences and the complaint. Counsel for the appellant, Damien Colgan SC, submitted that no reason was given for the delay. However, a three-judge panel led by Court President Mr Justice George Birmingham, sitting with Mr Justice John Edwards and Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, rejected these grounds. Mr Justice Birmingham described the trial judge's charge to the jury as "impeccable" and noted she was conscious of the difficulties associated with long delays in historic sex abuse cases. The court found no basis to overturn the conviction, leaving the original sentence intact.
The Central Criminal Court trial of four men accused of raping a 17-year-old girl in the midlands on December 27, 2016, heard evidence regarding conflicting statements made to gardaí. All four accused, aged between 17 and 19 at the time, have pleaded not guilty to rape and other charges. The prosecution alleges the complainant was driven to a location where she was raped by the four men and a fifth individual not before the court. Evidence revealed that the third accused initially told gardaí that none of the group had sex with the girl, before later admitting he and the others had intercourse with her. The second accused stated he did not know if others had sex with the complainant, while the first accused denied any sexual contact occurred. The first accused (22) faces additional charges of sexual assault and false imprisonment. The second accused (24) is charged with sexual assault, oral rape, and false imprisonment. The third accused (24) faces an additional rape count, sexual assault, and false imprisonment. The fourth accused (23) is charged with sexual assault. The trial continues before Justice Tara Burns and a jury.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 15 March 2022, Marko Lovric, 28, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography after showing a video of a child and an adult simulating sex to a colleague at the National Lottery Headquarters. The incident, which occurred on 1 September 2019, led to a Garda investigation that seized four videos depicting child abuse, including rape and exposure of genital areas. Lovric, who had no prior convictions, cooperated fully with the investigation and expressed remorse. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a nine‑month sentence, suspended in full on the condition that he engage with the Probation Service for 18 months. He was also required to participate in "safer lives" and "harmful sexual behaviour in the community" programmes while under supervision. Lovric was suspended from work and is registered as a sex offender. He hopes to return to Croatia after the matter is resolved.
In March 2022, a 33‑year‑old man from Clare was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for raping his partner with a deodorant can on 26 October 2014. He was convicted by a jury in his absence after failing to attend the closing stages of his Central Criminal Court trial in November 2017. The court found him guilty of one count of rape and acquitted him of one count of criminal damage. Two months after the assault, he sent the victim harassing texts calling her a "dirty tramp" and "dirty slut" and stating he would do it again. The judge noted the attack was sudden, shocking and involved humiliation and degradation. The sentence was back‑dated to 22 July 2021, the date he first entered custody. The man had fled to the UK, was arrested in July 2021, and had previously been convicted of assault and breaching a barring order.
Michael McGuinness, 61, a former army driver who served 21 years, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for indecent assault on three boys aged seven to thirteen between 1979 and 1990. The offences, committed while he was a trusted local figure, involved sexual abuse in his car and home, including forcing the boys to masturbate. McGuinness pleaded guilty to five counts; four carried a maximum of two years each, and a final count carried a maximum of ten years. Judge Melanie Greally imposed consecutive sentences totalling three years, suspended the final twelve months, and back‑dated the sentence to his first custodial period in November. McGuinness admitted the abuse to Gardaí in 2019, described it as a "dark dirty secret", and expressed remorse. He has no prior convictions and has engaged in therapeutic interventions. The court noted the lasting impact on the victims and the low risk of re‑offending.
In March 2022, a 28‑year‑old man was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison for forcibly entering a flat, raping a 16‑year‑old girl and threatening to kill her if she reported the assault. The Central Criminal Court heard that the defendant had previously called the victim's older sister's home in Waterford in January 2019, found the teenager alone, and forced his way into the flat. He carried her into a bedroom, raped her, and ignored her pleas to stop. He threatened her with death if she told anyone. The victim later called her sister, who alerted Gardaí, who arrested the man. He denied any contact, claiming the victim had "come on to him." Forensic evidence found his semen on the victim's clothing. The defendant pleaded guilty to rape on 12 January 2019. He was sentenced to ten years, reduced by six months and a year suspended, after a guilty plea and apology.
Two men have had their convictions for rape upheld by the Court of Appeal. Boakye Osei, formerly of Burnfoot in County Donegal, and Kelvin Opoku, formerly of Letterkenny, were each sentenced to nine years' imprisonment in March 2020 following their conviction at the Central Criminal Court for the rape of a woman in February 2015. The appellants challenged their convictions on three grounds: that the trial judge should have discharged the jury following questioning about the complainant's alcohol consumption, that video-link evidence should not have been permitted, and that mobile phone material had not been adequately disclosed to the defence. The Court of Appeal, presided over by Mr Justice George Birmingham alongside Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, rejected all grounds of appeal. The court found the trial judge's rulings on disclosure, video evidence, and witness questioning to have been proper and appropriate. The judges concluded they were not persuaded the trial was unfair or the verdicts unsafe. Boakye Osei pleaded not guilty. Kelvin Opoku pleaded not guilty.
The Court of Appeal heard appeals from two men in their twenties convicted of raping a woman at an address in Co Leitrim in 2017. The first accused, who pleaded guilty to rape, and the second accused, who pleaded not guilty to oral rape, were found guilty by a jury at the Central Criminal Court in November 2019 and sentenced to seven years' imprisonment each by Ms Justice Eileen Creedon. Counsel for the first appellant argued that the trial judge failed to highlight the distinct differences between the co-accused's cases and did not provide an adequate corroboration warning. The second appellant contended that the judge erred in refusing an application to acquit on the grounds that the State failed to preserve evidence, specifically his trousers, which could have been subjected to a touch test for DNA. The Director of Public Prosecutions submitted that the jury was instructed to treat the matters separately and rejected the defence arguments. The matter was adjourned with judgment reserved.
Conor Quaid, 27, of Monaree, Dingle, was convicted of raping a family friend in Kerry in 2018. A jury found him guilty by a 10‑to‑1 majority after a seven‑day trial in Cork in September 2020. He was sentenced to six‑and‑a‑half years' imprisonment by Ms Justice Mary Rose Gearty. Quaid appeals, arguing that the judge erred by failing to define recklessness for the jury and by implying that drunkenness equates with recklessness. The judge had told the jury that Quaid had been drinking before visiting the victim, who had not been drinking and had gone to bed early. The Court of Appeal heard arguments from Quaid's counsel, who said alcohol was a feature but not a total loss of control, and from the Director of Public Prosecutions, who said the judge's direction was practical and clear. The judgment is reserved. Conor Quaid pleaded not guilty.