Judge rejects character references as rapist is sentenced to 11 years

Judge refuses to accept character references for accused as the people who wrote them were not in court

The Central Criminal Court heard that the man was found guilty of anal rape, indecent assault, and sexual assault, in various locations between 1983 to 1993. File picture

A Sligo man has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for the rape and indecent sexual assault of three children over three decades ago.

The man’s lawyers asked Mr Justice David Keane to receive three character references but the judge refused to accept them. He said he would only allow character references if their authors were present in court to take the stand. This would also allow for cross-examination of this referee’s testimony to take place, he said.