Ireland Jailed false accuser Sonya Egan ends hunger strike amid health concerns
Sonya Egan (43), of Killeens, Co Cork, made false rape and sexual assault allegations and other claims against three senior social workers, a solicitor and a garda, and made false allegations against other men and women in Cork city, between 2016 and 2020. Gardaí investigated her complaints and found no evidence to support any of them. She pleaded guilty to 14 charges of making false statements and reports and was sentenced on 17 May 2023 by Judge Catherine Staines at Cork Circuit Criminal Court, with reports differing on whether the total was six years with the last two suspended or four years in jail. By 23 May 2023 she had ended a hunger strike of almost a week in Limerick Prison, where she was already serving a two-year sentence for harassment, and she was under close watch by medical staff.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrestednot reported
- Chargednot reported
- In courtnot reported
- Verdictnot reported
- Sentenced17 May
4 reports
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- Egan made serious false allegations against a senior garda, solicitors and social workers, often including rape and sexual assault.
- Egan also made false claims that a solicitor harassed her, that a politician and his partner physically assaulted her, and that a social worker accessed child sexual abuse images.
- Where
- The false statements were made at Garda stations in Dublin and Cork.
- When
- The offences were committed between 2016 and 2020.
- Cause
- Egan had a strategy of making false reports and statements after complaints of harassment were made about her.
- Investigation
- Gardaí investigated all of Egan's complaints and found no evidence to support any of them.
- Charges
- Egan pleaded guilty to 14 charges, eight counts of making false statements and six counts of making false reports, involving eight men and three women.
- The offences were contrary to Section 12 of the Criminal Law Act 1979, which carries a maximum penalty of five years.
- Other details
- The guilty plea spared the victims from giving evidence in a long trial.
- Egan had two previous harassment convictions and was already serving a two-year sentence in Limerick Prison for harassment of a man and a woman, whom the Irish Mirror identifies as former Sinn Fein TD Jonathan O'Brien.
- Egan went on hunger strike in Limerick Prison, had previously issued a do not resuscitate order to medical staff, ended the strike of almost a week over the weekend before 23 May 2023 after her health deteriorated, and is being closely watched by medical staff.
- In court
- Egan was sentenced on 17 May 2023 at Cork Circuit Criminal Court by Judge Catherine Staines, and she was not present, having waived her right to appear.
- Judge Staines said she would not be manipulated by Egan.
- Sentence
- Sources differ on the total: six years with the last two suspended, or four years in jail.
- Egan received three years for the offences against the first eight victims and three consecutive years for the offences against the garda, with the last two of those years suspended; the suspension is conditional on five years' Probation Service supervision, psychotherapy, no contact with the victims and no social media posts about them.
38 statements extracted from the articles
- whatEgan made serious false allegations against a senior garda, solicitors and social workers, often including rape and sexual assault. (thejournal.ie)
- whatEgan made false allegations of rape and sexual assault against three senior social workers, a solicitor and a garda. (irishtimes.com)
- whatEgan retracted all the false allegations she made against six men and three women in Cork city over a five-year period. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe false statements were made at Garda stations in Dublin and Cork. (thejournal.ie, corkbeo.ie, irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe offences were committed between 2016 and 2020. (corkbeo.ie)
- whenThe false statements and reports were made between 2016 and 2020. (irishmirror.ie)
- causeEgan had a strategy of making false reports and statements after complaints of harassment were made about her. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationGardaí investigated all of Egan's complaints and found no evidence to support any of them. (irishtimes.com)
- chargeEgan pleaded guilty to eight counts of making false statements and six counts of making false reports. (thejournal.ie, corkbeo.ie, irishmirror.ie)
- chargeThe offences were contrary to Section 12 of the Criminal Law Act 1979, which carries a maximum penalty of five years. (thejournal.ie)
- chargeEgan pleaded guilty to 14 charges of making false statements and reports involving eight men and three women. (irishtimes.com)
- courtEgan was not present at Cork Circuit Criminal Court for her sentencing hearing. (thejournal.ie)
- courtThe sentencing hearing was held at Cork Circuit Criminal Court. (corkbeo.ie)
- courtJudge Catherine Staines sentenced Egan at Cork Circuit Criminal Court. (irishtimes.com)
- courtJudge Catherine Staines said the court would not be manipulated by Egan. (irishmirror.ie)
- sentenceEgan was jailed for six years, with the last two years suspended on condition that she attend psychotherapy after release. (thejournal.ie)
- sentenceEgan was ordered not to have any contact with the injured parties after her release from custody. (thejournal.ie)
- sentenceJudge Staines jailed Egan for six years, suspending the last two years on condition she attends psychotherapy after release. (corkbeo.ie)
- sentenceEgan was ordered not to have contact with the injured parties after her release from custody. (corkbeo.ie)
- sentenceThe lede reports Egan was jailed for four years. (corkbeo.ie)
- sentenceEgan was jailed for four years. (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceEgan received three years in jail for the offences against the first eight victims and three years consecutively for the offences against the garda. (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceThe final two years of the garda sentence were suspended, leaving Egan with four years to serve. (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceThe suspension was conditional on five years' supervision by the Probation Service, psychotherapy as deemed appropriate, no contact with the victims and no social media posts about them. (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceEgan was jailed the week before the article, over false allegations of rape and sexual assault. (irishmirror.ie)
- sentenceEgan was already serving a two-year sentence for harassment against former Sinn Fein TD Jonathan O’Brien. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherEgan was on hunger strike in Limerick Prison, where she was serving a two-year sentence for harassment of a man and a woman. (thejournal.ie)
- otherThe guilty plea spared the victims from giving evidence in a long trial. (thejournal.ie)
- otherEgan has retracted all the false allegations she made against six men and three women in Cork city over a five-year period. (thejournal.ie)
- otherEgan retracted false allegations against six men and three women in Cork city. (corkbeo.ie)
- otherEgan was already serving a two-year sentence for harassment of a man and a woman and was on hunger strike in Limerick Prison. (corkbeo.ie)
- otherEgan was in the advanced stage of a hunger strike in Limerick Prison. (irishtimes.com)
- otherEgan has two previous convictions for harassment. (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe judge said the maximum penalty for the offences was five years. (irishtimes.com)
- otherEgan had previously issued a do not resuscitate order to medical staff. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherEgan ended a hunger strike of almost a week over the weekend after her health deteriorated. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherEgan is being closely watched by medical staff in Limerick prison. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe allegation that a tape of a hotel assault existed was false, and the tape was never produced. (irishmirror.ie)
The reporting
newest first- 23 May2023Jailed false rape accuser calls off hunger strike amid serious health concerns
Reports the sentencing hearing before Judge Catherine Staines, the victim impact statements, and Egan's refusal to attend court. Adds that she ended her hunger strike over the weekend after a DNR order and health concerns, and is now on close watch in Limerick prison.
convicted, Sonya Egan, 43, female, named, irish (judged from name)Sonya Egan - 17 May2023Woman jailed for making false reports of rape and sexual assault against social workers, solicitors and garda
Reports the sentencing: four years in total (three years for the first eight victims plus three consecutive years for the garda, with two suspended), probation supervision for five years, no-contact and social media conditions, two previous harassment convictions, and the judge's remarks on the harm caused.
convicted, Sonya Egan, 43, female, named, irish (judged from name)Sonya Egan - 17 May2023Pathological liar Sonya Egan jailed for 'malicious, vindictive campaign' of lies
Reports the sentencing at Cork Circuit Criminal Court on 17 May 2023. Adds the judge's sentence (six years with the last two suspended, psychotherapy condition, no-contact order), the guilty pleas, and the victim impact statements. The lede says she was jailed for four years, which conflicts with the six-year sentence given later in the article.
convicted, Sonya Egan, 43, female, named, irish (judged from name)Sonya Egan - 17 May2023Woman who made false allegations against solicitors, social workers and garda is jailed
Reports the sentencing hearing on 17 May 2023: six years in prison with the last two suspended on condition of psychotherapy, a no-contact order, the 14 counts pleaded to, and the victims affected, including a senior garda, solicitors and social workers.
convicted, Sonya Egan, 43, female, named, irish (judged from name)Sonya Egan