Saturday 31 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. 21492Assault causing harm · Co. Dublin

Man jailed for sadistic beatings of younger brother

A 38-year-old man was jailed for beating his younger brother at the family home in Dublin between March 2001 and March 2006, when the boy was aged 11 to 16. He pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to seven counts of assault causing harm, and the Director of Public Prosecutions withdrew the oral rape charges during the trial. He was sentenced to five years in jail, backdated to February 2020, when he first went into custody, as reported on 17 April 2023.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Verdictnot reported
  6. Sentenced17 Apr
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
  • The man pleaded guilty to seven counts of assault causing harm to his younger brother.
  • The man threw darts at the boy's feet and regularly beat him, often for no reason, according to the prosecution.
Where
The assaults took place at the family home in Dublin.
When
  • The offences took place on dates between March 2001 and March 2006.
  • The man was aged 16 to 21 and the boy was aged 11 to 16 at the time of the offences.
Weapon
The man hit the boy with a baton studded with nails.
Investigation
Det Garda David Jennings told the court about the beatings.
Charges
The oral rape charges were withdrawn by the Director of Public Prosecutions during the trial.
In court
  • The man had earlier been convicted by a jury, but those convictions were successfully appealed.
  • The judge described the violence as sadistic and involving particular brutality.
Sentence
  • The man was given a five-year jail sentence, reported on 17 April 2023.
  • The sentence was backdated to February 2020, when the man first went into custody.
Other details
  • The man told the boy to commit crimes such as robbery under threat of being beaten.
  • The man has 138 previous convictions.
  • The victim said he was still in fear of his older brother.
  • The case record lists the victim as a man, while the article describes him as a boy.
14 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatThe man pleaded guilty to seven counts of assault causing harm to the boy. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe man threw darts at the boy's feet. (irishtimes.com)
  • whereThe assaults happened at the family home in Dublin. (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe offences took place on dates between March 2001 and March 2006. (irishtimes.com)
  • weaponThe man hit the boy with a baton studded with nails. (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationDet Garda David Jennings told the court about the abuse. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe oral rape charges were withdrawn by the Director of Public Prosecutions during the trial. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe man had previously been convicted by a jury, but those convictions were successfully appealed. (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceThe man was given a five-year jail sentence. (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceThe sentence was backdated to when the man first went into custody in February 2020. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe man told the boy to commit crimes such as robbery under threat of being beaten. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe man has 138 previous convictions. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe victim said he was still in fear of his older brother. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe judge described the violence as sadistic and involving particular brutality. (irishtimes.com)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 17 Apr2023
    Sentencedirishtimes.com, first report
    Brother jailed for ‘sadistic’ beatings of younger sibling

    Reports the guilty pleas to seven assault counts, the five-year sentence backdated to February 2020, and the court's description of the violence as sadistic. The oral rape charges were withdrawn during the trial.

    convicted, 38, malevictim, male