Sunday 1 November 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. 0566Rape, indecent assault · Co. Galway

Man sentenced for rape and indecent assault in Co Galway

A 59-year-old man from Co Galway was sentenced in the Central Criminal Court to seven years for rape and five years for indecent assault, both to run concurrently with the final year suspended, after a jury found him guilty of raping and anally raping his younger sister in their family home in Co Galway between 1985 and 1986. The victim, now in her late 40s and a member of the Travelling community, was aged eight or nine at the time, and the man was 17. The jury was unable to agree on a further 21 counts, which the DPP will withdraw without pursuing a retrial. The man, who has 24 previous convictions and has suffered strokes in recent years, continues to deny all charges.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Verdictnot reported
  6. Sentenced20 Jul
    2 reports
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
  • The man was found guilty of rape and indecently assaulting the girl by anally raping her.
  • The man raped his younger sister about 40 years ago.
  • The man told the girl their mother would die if she told anyone.
  • The man has 24 previous convictions including public order, road traffic, assault, burglary and drug possession offences.
  • The man suffered strokes in recent years and requires mobility aids.
Where
The offences occurred in the family home in Co Galway, with the rape in a box room and the indecent assault in a bathroom.
When
The offences took place on dates between 1985 and 1986.
In court
  • The trial took place in the Central Criminal Court before Judge Eileen Creedon.
  • The jury was unable to agree on a further 21 counts and the DPP will withdraw those charges without pursuing a retrial.
Sentence
He was sentenced to seven years for rape and five years for indecent assault, both to run concurrently, with the final year suspended on conditions.
Other details
  • The victim was aged eight or nine at the time and is a member of the Travelling community.
  • The man was 17 years old at the time of the offending.
  • The man continues to deny all charges.
38 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatThe defendant is a 59-year-old man from Galway (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe man raped his younger sister more than 40 years ago (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe victim was aged eight or nine at the time of the rape (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe man has 24 previous convictions including public order, road traffic, assault, burglary and possession of drugs (irishtimes.com)
  • whatHe was in charge of the family at the time and sent other children out of the room (irishtimes.com)
  • whatHe told the victim their mother would die if she told anyone (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe offence was classified as indecent assault at the time but would now be considered anal rape (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe victim is a member of the Travelling community (irishtimes.com, irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe man had suffered a number of strokes in recent years and required mobility aids (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe victim was approximately eight or nine years old at the time of the rape (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe defendant was 17 years old at the time of the offence (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe man has 24 previous convictions including public order, road traffic, assault, burglary and drug possession offences (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe victim told her brother that he ruined her life (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe man continues to deny all charges against him (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe victim is now in her late 40s (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe man has suffered strokes in recent years and requires mobility aids (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe victim said her brother told her their mother would die if she told anyone (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe victim noted that her mother died anyway (irishmirror.ie)
  • whereThe offences occurred in the family home in County Galway (irishtimes.com)
  • whereThe rape occurred in a box room in the family home (irishtimes.com)
  • whereThe indecent assault occurred in a bathroom of the same home (irishtimes.com)
  • whereThe rape took place in a box room in the family home in Co Galway (irishmirror.ie)
  • whereThe indecent assault took place in a bathroom of the same home (irishmirror.ie)
  • whenThe offences occurred on dates between 1985 and 1986 (irishtimes.com)
  • courtHe was found guilty by a jury of two counts: rape and indecently assaulting by anally raping (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe jury was unable to agree on a further 21 counts (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe DPP would be withdrawing the remaining charges and would not pursue a retrial (irishtimes.com)
  • courtJudge Eileen Creedon sentenced the man on Monday (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe DPP had placed the offending in the more serious category of a 10 to 15 year headline sentence (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe jury was unable to agree on 21 further counts (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtThe DPP will withdraw the remaining charges and will not pursue a retrial (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtThe trial took place at the Central Criminal Court (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtThe sentencing was carried out by Ms Justice Eileen Creedon (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtThe DPP placed the offending in the more serious category of a 10 to 15 year headline sentence (irishmirror.ie)
  • sentenceHe was sentenced to seven years for rape and five years for indecent assault, running concurrently (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceThe final year of the sentence was suspended on conditions (irishtimes.com, irishmirror.ie)
  • sentenceThe man was jailed for six years in total (irishmirror.ie)
  • sentenceThe sentence was seven years for rape and five years for indecent assault, running concurrently (irishmirror.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 21 Jul2026
    Sentencedirishmirror.ie, its first report
    Woman raped by her brother tells him he's 'a devil, a monster' as he's jailed

    Reports the sentencing, the victim impact statement, the jury's partial verdict, and the judge's reasoning including treating the offender as a minor at the time of offending.

    convicted, 59, malevictim, female
  2. 20 Jul2026
    Sentencedirishtimes.com, first report
    Man who raped younger sister more than 40 years ago jailed for six years

    Provides full sentencing details including the judge's reasoning, the victim impact statement, defence arguments about the defendant's age at the time, his health issues, and the specific sentences imposed (seven years for rape, five years for indecent assault, concurrent, with the final year suspended on conditions).

    convicted, 59, male, irish (judged from name)victim, female, irish (judged from name)