Three jailed over vigilante mob attack at Strokestown eviction lose appeal bid

One victim was tied up, had his legs cut with a meat cleaver and was doused in petrol during the attack

Martin O'Toole, left, and Paul Beirne, saw their appeals rejected, along with that of PJ Sweeney. 

Three men jailed for their part in a vigilante "mob" attack on security personnel guarding a repossessed farmhouse in Roscommon committed “the most barbaric violations of human rights”, the Court of Appeal has ruled in upholding their convictions.

“Though dressed up as public action in redress of injustice, eight security men, simply doing their job for modest wages, were targeted by a vicious mob and made submit to the lowest of attacks on their irreducible entitlement to human dignity,” said Mr Justice Peter Charleton on Wednesday, rejecting appeals by Martin O'Toole (60), PJ Sweeney (59), and Paul Beirne (58).