Wednesday 28 October 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 3472Child cruelty, sexual assault · Co. Dublin

Dublin man jailed for nine years over child cruelty, including locking boy in chest freezer

A 35-year-old Dublin man was sentenced to nine years and two months at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to six counts of child cruelty and three counts of sexually assaulting his children, which included repeatedly locking the oldest boy in a chest freezer. His former partner, the children's mother, was sentenced to two and a half years in 2025 for child neglect.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Verdictnot reported
  6. Sentenced24 Mar
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
19 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatThere was often no food or not enough to eat for the children (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe house was filthy and cold with bags of rubbish in the home and garden (irishtimes.com)
  • whatRodents, flies and faeces were witnessed by gardaí and social workers (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe six children were two boys and four girls (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe youngest girl was admitted to hospital covered in dried faeces (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe children were aged between 10 months and eight years when taken into care (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThere was alcohol and drug-taking by both parents in the home (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe children are now aged between six and 14 and placed in three foster homes (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe oldest boy was not given food and locked in his room, a bathroom, a closet and a functioning chest freezer (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe man attempted to suffocate the boy and held his head underwater in the bath (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe children were taken into care in January 2020 (irishtimes.com)
  • chargeThe man pleaded guilty to six counts of child cruelty on dates between 2016 and 2020 (irishtimes.com)
  • chargeHe also faced three counts of sexually assaulting the oldest girl and two boys (irishtimes.com)
  • courtHe was due to go on trial earlier in 2026 but entered guilty pleas after a defence proposal was accepted by the DPP (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe oldest boy read his victim impact statement over video-link to the court (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceThe man was jailed for nine years and two months (irishtimes.com)
  • otherAn investigating garda said it was one of the worst cases in her 10 years in a child protection unit (irishtimes.com)
  • otherHe has 20 previous convictions, primarily for minor public order offences (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe man cannot be named to protect the anonymity of the children (irishtimes.com)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 24 Mar2026
    Sentencedirishtimes.com, first report
    Man who subjected his six children to ‘terrible cruelty’, including locking one in a freezer, jailed

    Sentencing report. The man received nine years and two months; the mother received two and a half years in 2025. The man had 20 previous convictions and was due to go on trial earlier in 2026 before entering guilty pleas.

    convicted, 35, male, Irish, irishconvicted, 35, femalevictim, 13, malevictim, 14, femalevictim, 6, female