Ex-lord mayor jailed for one year over sex assaults

Former lord mayor of Cork John Murray was jailed for one year yesterday for sexually assaulting a girl from when she was 13 years old, as the judge said he felt his hands were tied on the issue of sentencing.

“In view of the fact that there was no plea of guilty and I see very little by way of remorse, I feel my hands are tied,” Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin said.

He then imposed a two-year sentence on each of four counts of sexual assault, with the last year suspended on each count. He imposed a concurrent, four-year sentence on one of the counts with the last three years suspended. The net effect was a one-year jail term.