Convicted paedophile has sentence shortened

A convicted paedophile has been successful in his appeal against the severity of the life sentence imposed on him for raping two young boys in a Dublin city centre location between 2004 and 2006.

The Court of Criminal Appeal today reduced the life term imposed by Mr Justice Paul Carney on Philip Sullivan to a term 15 years in prison with the final two and a half years suspended provided he comply with certain conditions.

The court held that the judge had erred in passing a life sentence on Sullivan, and said that a determinate sentence was more appropriate.

Mr Justice Carney sentenced Sullivan (aged 43), a native of Kildare town with an address at Botanic Road, Glasnevin, Dublin to life at the Central Criminal Court in January of last year.

Sullivan had pleaded guilty to 11 counts including anal rape, attempted anal rape and sexual assault on two young males on dates from April 2004 to July 2006.

The trial at the Central Criminal Court had heard that, in addition to raping and abusing his victims individually, Sullivan had also made them masturbate one another.

The judge imposed concurrent life sentences on each rape charge and five years on the sexual assault counts and also directed Sullivan, who was not present in court for today's judgment, be registered as a sex offender. Sullivan appealed against the severity of that sentence

Sullivan was previously jailed for two concurrent terms of four years each at Naas Circuit Criminal Court on November 21st, 1995 and for a five-year term at the Central Criminal Court on October 6th, 1997.

The sentences all related to offences of sexual assaults of males.