Convicted serial child rapist to be resentenced after sentence declared “unduly lenient” by Court of Appeals – TheLiberal.ie – Our News, Your Views

Convicted serial child rapist to be resentenced after sentence declared “unduly lenient” by Court of Appeals




The Court of Appeal has found Patrick O’Brien’s sentence to be unduly lenient  and a new sentence shall be imposed on the convicted serial rapist and child abuser.

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.

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.

Due to the nature of O’Brien’s offences the Court of Appeal last month found the sentence given to be “unduly lenient” 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.

Speaking at the original trial Fiona Doyle told the court how her father raped her every night her mother went out to play bingo.  Bravely Ms Doyle waved her right to anonymity in order to obtain some level of justice for what had happened to her as a child.

The original presiding Judge  Mr Carney stated that the case was one the worst cases of abuse one could possibly find.

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