Convicted serial child rapist Patrick O’Brien has had his “unduly lenient” sentence reviewed and the courts have now imposed a custodial sentence of 12 years with the last nine suspended.
Patrick O’Brien was found guilty and jailed for the repeated rape of his daughter Fiona Doyle. Mr O’Brien pleaded guilty to the heinous crime , a total of 16 counts of rape and indecent assault which started when his daughter was just 7 year old when he raped her on the night before her First Holy Communion in 1973 and continued up until 1982. Ms Doyle gave up her right to anonymity in order to speak out on the subject of child sex abuse. Speaking at the original trial she told the courts how father Patrick O’Brien would rape her every night whilst her mother was away at Bingo.
The original sentencing was carried out by Mr Justice Carney who took into account the health issues suffered by Mr O’Brien and the sentence handed down was 12 years imprisonment with the last nine years suspended. Judge Carney stated that the case was one the worst cases of abuse one could possibly find
This sentenced was since declared “unduly lenient” by the Court of Appeal given the serious nature of the crimes committed by the convicted man. Although O’Brien is suffering from a number of illnesses which cause pain and discomfort there is no law which prevent those who are ill from serving an imposed prison sentence.