Light sentencing in Ireland re crime

[LadyEloise1]

Anyone else sick of the light sentences given in Ireland for crime.
I've just seen that a man who raped and sexually abused his youngest sister starting when she was 6 and he was 12 was given 7 and a half year sentence for the rapes. He was given consecutive sentences totalling 5 years for the sexual assaults but the judge decided that sentence would run concurrently with the 7 year term. FFS !!!
Apparently his remorse (yeah right ), the fact he pleaded guilty and he had no previous convictions were mitigating factors. The judge suspended the final 18 months of the sentence, despite the judge saying that the victim was a vulnerable and defenceless child, the offences were humiliating and degrading, that the victim had a right to bodily integrity and that she lived in fear.
Will this child rapist be out in 3 years ?
I am utterly disgusted with this sentence.

Justice Tony Hunt [no relation, I promise! I've just noticed him saying a lot of sensible things]
is a beam of sunlight in the murkiness of sentencing, and as he's a fairly recent appointee, maybe there's hope for the next generation of judges.

This is him responding to the usual 'previous good character/difficulty getting future employment/has a family' claims by a convicted rapist:
He said it is quite simple in that the person before him is going to prison – “so the immediate prospect of employment does not arise. The future employment is a matter for a potential employer and potential employee,” Mr Justice Hunt said.
He accepted a letter from Lonergan’s partner and acknowledged that he had no previous convictions.
“But previous good character goes up in smoke in the context of such an offence,” Mr Justice Hunt said.

In another rape case he said
Justice Hunt warned that “consent is something that must be looked for” adding that if it is not established, “you do so at your own peril”.
“If it is not consensual sexual activity, it is sexual activity that will result in the commission of a serious sexual offence and the room for anything but a significant immediate custodial sentence is non-existent"

That last bit should be written in large letters and posted in every school, office, university campus, factory, sports ground - every place where boys and men gather!

That is positive. Long may it continue.

Maybe, and as I don't know hence maybe, there is some sort of sex based training for more recent appointees.

Most likely it will be opt in if it exists.

Yeap the appeal process works both ways. In some cases it may be justified.

An example would be the case of the tax avoidance for garlic

www.newstalk.com/news/man-behind-garlic-scam-has-6-year-sentence-quashed-736667

That was a Martin Nolan ruling which was quashed.

He is a menace to the gender woohoo club.

It wasn't that long ago that a life sentence in Ireland was 7yrs. It was increased to minimum of 12yrs in 2019, I think.

After that they can apply for release every 2 years

www.rte.ie/news/primetime/2024/0227/1434651-life-sentences/#:~:text=The%20Parole%20Act%20of%202019,had%20previously%20been%20seven%20years.

https://www.rte.ie/news/courts/2024/0725/1461754-judge-shorten/
Shorten got 30 years total, hopefully he has to serve a significant amount of that. Judges remarks are also heartening in recognising the risks women face....just wish there was more consistency in sentencing. I think a lot of people advising women and girls to take a taxi have never known how helpless you feel alone in a car with an unknown man. The fear of somebody like him (and the sleazy comments on the couple of occasions I took a taxi) was why I chose to take my chances on the nitelink (I'm not saying this is a better option just the one I felt more comfortable with).
Again I doubt the 3 rapes he was convicted of have been his only crimes.
My heart goes out to the 7 year old little girl (and the woman she has become) he raped the day of her mother's funeral.

I was coming on to comment this sentence, it's consecutive so 30years. At his age there is strong possibility he will die in prison or be released when he is dying.

The correct sentence he is an absolute predator and shouldn't be able to roam the streets.

But I can honestly see that sentence being appealed by defence. Hopefully sentence appeal will be rejected.

I also think there needs to be a good look at the taxi plate system. He was allowed to keep his licence cause sex offences were not serious enough

www.dublinlive.ie/news/dublin-news/rapist-cabbie-raymond-shorten-allowed-29491359.amp

A lot of predators seem to be able to get taxi licence

www.irishtimes.com/news/x-case-offender-is-reported-accused-of-sexual-assault-while-driving-taxi-1.229185

There was another case but I cannot remember enough details to do a search.

We, the women and children of Ireland are being let down time and time again by bad men, lax laws and misogynistic judges. 🥲

So glad those ladies got justice. What an evil, depraved pos Shorten is. And for his own daughter to admit she hoped he got what he deserves says it all. That poor 7 year old girl especially. As if losing her Mother isn't traumatic enough. I wouldn't want my sister/nieces/daughters getting a taxi alone, there are far too many offenders around just looking to pounce.

Here's a turn up - Father in Munster abuse trial has sentenced increased to life

www.rte.ie/news/courts/2024/0730/1462640-munster-court/

I’m actually shocked at seeing such a suitable sentence from an Irish judge.

More of this, asap please, judges.

Omg what is with all the harrowing abuse cases lately. Another yesterday
www.irishexaminer.com/news/courtandcrime/arid-41446081.html#:~:text=IN%20FOCUS%3A-,Cork%20mother%20jailed%20for%20'vile%20and%20depraved,sexual%20abuse%20of%20toddler%20son&text=The%20Cork%20native%2C%20who%20cannot,%2Da%2Dhalf%20years%20old.

This rapist was sentenced yesterday and worked in the same company as my DH until the second trial.

https://www.tipperarylive.ie/news/crime---court/1566712/breaking-tipperary-man-who-raped-woman-at-house-party-jailed-for-seven-years.html

Disgusting to think if he'd been up in front of Judge Martin Nolan he'd probably have gotten a suspended sentence.

The judge noted there was some limited mitigating factors - his work history and lack of previous convictions.
Great - so he's a good worker and hasn't raped anyone before.
🙄

The judge also said that his personal background "makes it all the more surprising that he should be carrying round the kind of attitudes which led him to this place"

What did he mean, do you know @honeyrider ?

Hard to tell, maybe him being a referee in the GAA or having worked at a well known stud in the past, no mention of where he worked until his trial.

So glad it wasn't MN.

When you read of some dreadful assault followed by the words ' a file has been sent to the DPP' , you know you won't be hearing anymore about it....

Lack of conviction just means he has not being caught before

If you can stomach it, I'd encourage people to read a little more about the Tipperary case. It is so easy to gloss over these things, and skim the headline. Even as women, I think most of us do not realize the severity of the impact of these cases on people, and their families.

Also, the piece in the IT today is worth a read. https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2024/08/02/justine-mccarthy-because-of-lavinia-kerwick-ireland-learned-about-the-trauma-of-sexual-crime/ I'd never heard her until I moved to work in Ireland. What an amazing woman!

Working in this area, on a daily basis it can be very difficult, but I've lovely to remined of people like this who can and do change things for the better. It might not seem like it, but in Ireland the courts and police are better place thanks to people like this.

I just heard that the man who has been detained for murdering his partner in Cork last week is the same man that stabbed a random stranger in Cork a few weeks earlier. A teacher with teenage students stood up to someone trying to steal a phone (I don't know if physical or just verbal) and was stabbed multiple times with a screwdriver. Days later he kills his girlfriend who incidentally was involved in the mobile phone robbery. So basically he stabs a random stranger and gets sent home. I am absolutely fuming to hear this type of story, all I could think was his next victim could have been anybody. Like little girls at school camp like in Southport.

https://www.corkbeo.ie/news/local-news/man-charged-over-murder-midleton-29675136

https://www.echolive.ie/corknews/arid-41446975.html

I don't know much about it but thought anyone involved in this thread might be interested

I heard her partner was arrested, but none of the other details. Shocking he was allowed out after such a violent crime.

https://www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/courts/2024/08/20/woman-dragged-into-park-and-told-she-would-be-killed-during-early-morning-sex-attack-in-dublin-court-hears/

Sorry to have to resurrect this thread with ANOTHER disgusting ruling by an Irish judge, for an attack on an woman. I know it's not a sentence, but this man was granted bail after (reportedly / allegedly) attacking a woman, sexual assaulting her, and threatening to kill her. This is a man "of no fixed address", and where the Gardaí objected to bail because he's a flight risk (amongst other things).
But don't worry... he has a curfew from 11pm till 7am 😡😠🤬 I want to scream!!!

I saw that too @TaTuirseOrm and wanted to scream.
It was Judge John Brennan.
I don't understand granting the alleged attacker bail.
DNA samples were taken from the attacker. There is CCTV evidence.

That poor woman, on her way to work at 6am.
My heart goes out to her.