Ireland Crime

Named as

Convicted

Born

Between May 1985 and April 1986, from the ages reported

Offences

Assault causing harm, False imprisonment, Making threats to kill, Assault

Where

Co. Sligo

Reporting

3 reports, 24 Apr 2026 to 2 Jul 2026

Outlets

irishtimes.com, rte.ie

Photographs

as published, with the outlet's credit

Images are shown from the outlet that published them and link back to the article. Copyright stays with the credited photographer or agency.

• Sligo man jailed for beating three teenagers Assault · Co. Sligo

  Cathal O'Connor, a Sligo property developer, pleaded guilty in April 2026 to beating three 13-year-old boys in 2024 after finding them in a property he owned in a business park. Sligo Circuit Criminal Court sentenced him in May 2026 to five years' imprisonment, with the final three years suspended for six years. The start of the sentence was deferred by two months to allow him to settle business affairs. He began serving the sentence on 1 July 2026 at Castlerea Prison, Co Roscommon.

  Sentenced, 2 Jul 2026Convicted · 1 report
• Developer sentenced for assault and false imprisonment in Sligo Assault causing harm · Co. Sligo

  On 18 March 2024, Cathal O'Connor, a 40-year-old man, and Simon Cavanagh, a 39-year-old man, assaulted three 13-year-old boys at the North West Business Park in Collooney, Sligo, after two youths broke windows in O'Connor's prefabricated buildings. The 48-minute incident involved repeated punching, choking until one boy blacked out, threats to kill, and a blue metal saw held to a boy's neck, while a 13-year-old girl was made to watch. O'Connor pleaded guilty to three counts of assault causing harm, with six further charges of false imprisonment and threats to kill taken into account, and Cavanagh pleaded guilty to three counts of false imprisonment. At Sligo Circuit Criminal Court in May 2026, O'Connor was sentenced to five years with the final three years suspended for six years, to begin on 1 July 2026, and ordered to pay €35,000 to each victim, while Cavanagh received a two-and-a-half-year sentence suspended for six years with 240 hours of community service.

  Sentenced, 1 May 2026Convicted · 2 reports

Each entry shows how that report described them.

1. 2 Jul2026
   Sentencedirishtimes.com, in Sligo man jailed for beating three teenagers

   Sligo businessman jailed for beating three teenagers retains roles in 21 companies

   convicted, Cathal O'Connor, male, named, irish (judged from name)Cathal O'Connor♂IE
2. 1 May2026
   Sentencedrte.ie, in Developer sentenced for assault and false imprisonment in Sligo

   Businessman jailed for imprisoning, assaulting three boys

   convicted, Cathal O'Connor, 40, male, named, irish (judged from name)Cathal O'Connor♂40IE
3. 24 Apr2026
   Convictedrte.ie, in Developer sentenced for assault and false imprisonment in Sligo

   Teenagers punched, headbutted by businessman, court told

   convicted, Cathal O'Connor, 40, male, named, irish (judged from name)Cathal O'Connor♂40IE

Matched on the name as printed, ignoring quoted nicknames, and split by the ages reported. Two people who share a name and age would appear together here.