Convicted sex attacker Lyons may be released before appeal

Convicted sex attacker Anthony Lyons is likely to walk free from jail before a court appeal against the perceived leniency of his six-month jail term.

The Dublin businessman from Griffith Avenue is due for release on December 14.

Aviation broker Anthony Lyons was ordered to serve just six months of a six year sentence.

He was also directed to pay compensation to his victim who he rugby tackled to the ground and sexually assaulted late at night in October 2010.

The DPP is now challenging the sex attacker's sentence as too lenient.

But their bid for an early appeal on December 12 now seems unlikely because Anthony Lyons senior's counsel Patrick Gageby is working at a murder trial and is not available.

Mr Justice Adrian Hardiman said if circumstances change, the parties can come back to court.

It now seems the father of four will be released from jail before the appeal at which his lawyers will raise his intoxication and his unusual defence of blaming the attack on his cholestorol medication.