Thursday 29 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. 12210Sexual assault · Co. Donegal

Dungloe man jailed for sexual assault of teenage girl

Patrick McLaughlin, 45, was sentenced at Letterkenny Circuit Court to two years in prison, with the final 12 months suspended, after admitting sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl in 2014. The sentence is conditional on abstaining from alcohol and probation supervision.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Verdictnot reported
  6. Sentenced5 Nov
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
12 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatMcLaughlin admitted touching the girl when she was 15. (donegallive.ie)
  • whereThe incident happened at an address in the Dungloe area. (donegallive.ie)
  • whenThe offence to which he pleaded guilty happened in 2014, when the girl was 15 and McLaughlin was 34. (donegallive.ie)
  • causeThe defence attributed the incident to McLaughlin's high level of alcohol. (donegallive.ie)
  • investigationThe girl made an official complaint to gardaí when she was 21, and McLaughlin was later arrested and interviewed. (donegallive.ie)
  • chargeMcLaughlin admitted one charge of sexual assault, and another similar charge was taken into consideration. (donegallive.ie)
  • chargeThe charge is contrary to section 2 of the Criminal Law (Rape) (Amendment) Act, 1990. (donegallive.ie)
  • courtThe case was listed for trial, but McLaughlin, who has no previous convictions, eventually pleaded guilty. (donegallive.ie)
  • sentenceMcLaughlin was jailed for two years. (donegallive.ie)
  • sentenceThe judge reduced the sentence to three years and proposed to suspend the final 12 months, so McLaughlin will serve two years. (donegallive.ie)
  • sentenceThe suspension is conditional on McLaughlin abstaining completely from alcohol and being supervised by the probation services. (donegallive.ie)
  • otherA victim impact statement was read out in court on behalf of the young woman. (donegallive.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 5 Nov2025
    Sentenceddonegallive.ie, first report
    Dungloe businessman jailed for sexual assault of teenage girl

    Sentencing report on a 2014 offence at a Dungloe address; the article covers the court outcome, the victim impact statement and the defence and judge's remarks. No existing case matches.

    convicted, Patrick McLaughlin, 45, male, named, irish (judged from name)Patrick McLaughlinvictim, 15, female