Man loses appeal against jail sentence in Rebecca French case

A man has lost an appeal against his jail sentence for disposing and trying to destroy the body of slain mother-of-two Rebecca French.

The Court of Criminal Appeal this afternoon ruled there had been no error in principle in the imposition of a 10-year sentence with two years suspended on Patrick O’Connor (aged 44) by Mr Justice Barry White at the Central Criminal Court in December 2010.

O’Connor, with a last address at Ard na Dara, Clondard, Co Wexford, had pleaded guilty to the offence.

The court heard that the body of 30-year-old Rebecca French was found in the boot of a burning car a few kilometres outside of Wexford town on October 9, 2009.

Gardaí believed the mother-of-two had been beaten to death in a house nearby.

Chief Justice Susan Denham said the appeal court was satisfied there was no error in principle in the sentence imposed.

She said that Mr Justice White was within his jurisdiction in imposing the maximum sentence and the court would dismiss the appeal.