Tag Archives: Central Criminal Court

A man “of some standing” in his community who repeatedly raped his friend’s daughter when she was a child has been jailed for eight years. Noel Kelleher (64) was found guilty by a jury of six counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault, three counts of oral rape and one count of attempted oral rape of his victim at various locations in County Clare between June 1991 and August 1992. Kelleher, of Gort na hAbhna, Roslevan, Ennis, was found not guilty of a further 16 counts of rape, indecent assault and sexual assault by the jury following a Central Criminal Court trial last November. His victim, who was aged between 12 and 14 at the time of the attacks, wished to waive her right to anonymity, the court heard. Sentencing Kelleher on Monday, Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy said his abuse had a “deep and long-lasting impact” on his victim, which continues to this day. “These are very serious offences perpetrated …

A woman who was repeatedly raped by a family friend as a child has faced her abuser in the Central Criminal Court, saying, “he has no shame”. Noel Kelleher (64) was found guilty by a jury of six counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault, three counts of oral rape and one count of attempted oral rape of his victim at various locations in County Clare between June 1991 and August 1992. Kelleher of Gort na hAbhna, Roslevan, Ennis was found not guilty of a further 16 counts of rape, indecent assault and sexual assault by the jury following a Central Criminal Court trial last November. Kelleher will now be a registered sex offender. His victim, who was aged between 12 and 14 at the time of the attacks, wished to waive her right to anonymity, the court heard. Kelleher was in his late thirties and married when he carried out the abuse. Detective Garda Claire O’Shaughnessy told his …

A 28-year-old Clare man has been sent forward for trial to the Central Criminal Court, charged with the rape of a woman in 2014. The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is accused of raping a woman in her home on the night of October 26/27, 2014. He is further charged with criminal damage at the injured party’s home, where it is alleged he damaged various bed clothes, assorted clothing belonging to the injured party, the wall of her main bedroom and various crystal ornaments, intending to damage the property. Inspector Kieran Ruan told Ennis District Court on Wednesday that the Director of Public Prosecutions had consented to the case being sent forward for trial to the Central Criminal Court. Garda Niamh Browne gave evidence of serving a Book of Evidence on the accused. Judge Patrick Durcan made the order to send the case onto the Central Criminal Court and granted an application for free legal aid to …

A KILRUSH family travelled to Castlerea Prison in Roscommon on this week to protest against the possibility that the man convicted of murdering Ann Walsh 11 years ago, could be in line for parole. The Walsh family, from Pella Road in the town, are planning to travel to the prison again on Thursday, June 30 for a second protest over the possible release of Raymond Donovan from Cooraclare, who was convicted at the Central Criminal Court in Ennis of the murder of his former girlfriend. Mr Justice Paul Carney imposed a mandatory life sentence on Donovan, then 24, after the jury delivered a unanimous guilty verdict in the 2006 case. He was found guilty of strangling 23-year-old Ann Walsh in the grounds of St Senan’s Church, Kilrush on August 24, 2005. The Walsh family learned on March 3 that Raymond Donovan was planning to apply for parole for a second time. He was turned down three years ago. They have since …

A Clare man has received a sentence of three years imprisonment for the sexual assault of an eight-year-old girl during a sleep over. The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is already serving a term of 15 years imprisonment for the abuse of a female relative. In that case he began regularly raping the child in his own flat from when she was aged nine. Last month the 49-year-old was convicted by a jury after a trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of the sexual assault of a girl during a sleepover with other children at his home on November 11, 2005. He had denied the charge. On Friday last, Keith Spencer BL, defending, told Judge Patricia Ryan that the man did not accept the verdict of the jury and would appeal the conviction. The man has 41 previous convictions, which include the convictions of sexual assault and rape from the Central Criminal Court earlier this year. The …

AN elderly man who admitted molesting and trying to rape his niece with special needs is to be sentenced next month. The 75-year-old man, who cannot be named to protect the victim’s anonymity, tried to rape the young teenager 10 years ago. In her victim impact report, the now adult woman said she was still afraid of the man and that her plans for her life changed as a result of the abuse. The man pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin on Wednesday to attempted rape and the sexual assault of the child at a place in county Cork on unknown dates between 2005 and 2008. The victim was aged between 11 and 14 at the time. He also admitted attempted rape of the victim at a place in County Limerick on an unknown date between 2011 and 2012 and sexually assaulting her on December 23, 2011. He has no previous convictions. The investigating garda told Martina Baxter …

THE trial opened in the Central Criminal Court in Tralee this week of a Kerry man charged with the murder of a Brazilian man, who lived in Gort. The court has heard that Bruno Lemes de Souza was “savagely killed” and his body found weeks later in a drain in a bog near Listowel. John Paul Cawley (22) of Ardoughter, Ballyduff, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr de Souza at Shronowen Bog, Tullamore, on February 16 or 17, 2012. Opening the case before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, senior counsel for the prosecution, Conor Devally said the jury would hear evidence of an extended family living in North Kerry, including a Brazilian man, Wenio Rodriguez da Silva, his partner Sandra Cawley, their two young children, and Ms Cawley’s two brothers, Charlie Cawley and the accused, John Paul Cawley. Arrangements were made with the deceased, who lived in Gort, to call to Mr da Silva’s house at Ardoughter on …

A Clare man who threatened to kill his partner’s nine-year-old daughter if she told anyone of his sexual abuse has been jailed for 13 years. The three-year period of severe abuse was only uncovered when the victim’s younger brother, who was five years old, told their aunt. The court heard the girl is now “extremely traumatised.” The 25-year-old man pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to one sample count each of anal rape and sexual assault of the girl between 2009 and 2012 in County Clare. Describing the abuse as being in the highest category of gravity, Mr Justice Tony Hunt said the man “repeatedly and flagrantly” breached the trust placed in him by the victim’s mother, and the life of his victim will be “permanently marred” by his crimes. The abuse began when the man moved in with the victim’s mother and lasted until the return of the victim’s aunt from overseas. The parties in the case cannot …