Judge Keenan Johnson
https://www.rte.ie/news/leinster/2023/1219/1422917-offaly-sentencing/ - eight years, with another two years suspended, 730k Cannabis
https://www.rte.ie/news/regional/2020/1120/1179452-tullamore-court/ - Tullamore Circuit Court was told by Garda Helen Colleran that defendant Nicolai Cojuhari, a 28-year-old who has received a three-year suspended sentence for cultivating cannabis, was at the bottom rung of the operation and would be right to fear those above him.
https://www.leinsterexpress.ie/news/crime-and-courts/311114/up-to-his-neck-in-drug-dealing.html - sentenced to five years in jail, with a portion suspended ... In total there were 670.8g of cannabis to a value of €13,400, and 30.16g of crystal meth worth €1,825.
https://www.independent.ie/regionals/sligo/news/sligo-man-who-bought-drugs-off-the-dark-net-to-sell-is-jailed-for-18-months/42297200.html - A 21 year old Sligo man was sentenced to one year and six months in prison by Judge Keenan Johnson at Sligo Circuit Court for possession of drugs for sale or supply.
https://www.rte.ie/news/2017/0718/891265-sligo-assault-compensation/ - attack which resulted in a man having his jaw broken in two places "Judge Johnson imposed a suspended four-year sentence" **"He said a fortune is spent on incarcerating people, but asked what use that is to the victim in this case."**
https://www.sundayworld.com/crime/courts/jilted-law-student-19-avoids-jail-after-enlisting-gang-to-tie-up-ex-and-assault-him/1524954476.html - ordered to pay €7,500 in compensation "enlisting a gang of youths to tie her former boyfriend up and violently assault him during the course of an alleged aggravated burglary."
https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/ex-accountant-38-jailed-for-sex-assault-on-teenage-girl-celebrating-leaving-cert-results-1551732.html - three years and six months, with the final nine months suspended for four years "for a “disgusting” sexual assault on a vulnerable teenage girl he approached while she was out celebrating her Leaving Certificate results."
https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/man-who-repeatedly-punched-and-kicked-pregnant-partner-has-sentence-doubled-1497593.html - Man who repeatedly punched and kicked pregnant partner has sentence doubled. "Jason Doyle (28), who has 86 previous convictions including those for domestic violence, had been charged with four counts of assaulting his then partner, Karen Maguire, causing her harm at their home on January 10th, 2021." originally sentenced to 9 months by Keenan Johsnon
https://www.independent.ie/regionals/sligo/news/courts/sligo-man-56-pleads-guilty-to-indecent-assault-of-relative-in-1970s-and-80s/42290823.html - "A 56 year old Sligo man has pleaded guilty to 21 counts of indecently assaulting a female relative in locations in Co Sligo during the late ‘70s and 80s."
https://www.independent.ie/regionals/sligo/news/youth-club-leader-jailed-for-abuse-of-young-boy/39214779.html - "A 54-year-old man who founded a youth club and groomed a 16-year-old boy before engaging in sexual acts with him at his home has been given a two-and-a-half year prison sentence."
There are literally dozens of more examples of light sentences for brutal attacks & sexual assaults by Judge Keenan Johnson.
**“Let nobody claim that cannabis is a harmless drug,” Judge Keenan Johnson stated in Waterford Circuit Criminal Court last week when told that a drug addict was forced to hold cannabis with a street value of more than €5,000 for a major player in the local drugs scene.**
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/man-27-pleads-guilty-to-sexually-assaulting-14-year-old-schoolgirl-on-dublin-bus/a729546763.html
This chap got a suspended sentence for an hours long sexual assault on a 14 year old girl.
Yup, a man that claims ["The drug barons behind the drug trade in Ireland are the greatest threat facing the stability of our society,”](https://m.sundayworld.com/crime/courts/judge-blasts-drug-barons-during-sentence-hearing-saying-they-are-the-greatest-threat-facing-irish-society/40374950.html) while giving suspended sentences to paedophiles
Correct but who will oversight them ? One old fucks mentally stuck in previous century oversighting another old fucks mentally stuck in previous century. I can't see this would be done any other way if at all.
There's only one explanation. Judge Keenan Johnson is a violent sex offender himself and doesn't want to set a precedent for if he gets caught.
I don't care if it's libel. Fuck him enabling these people. He may as well have done it himself.
By holding judges publicly accountable.
Stop this nonsense of giving them a job for life and saying to them "off you go, do whatever you think yourself and nobody will, sorry, nobody *can* question you about it".
We need to radically chance the system here and move to judging panels composed of legal pros and lay people as there are in other countries.
The current system is literally descended from the middle ages and going to the king or local lord.
We live in a democracy yet give essentially ultimate power to these individuals to run their own mini fifedoms and who expect to be treated as above everyone else. It's outdated and no longer necessary in a country where the entire population is well educated and capable of being more directly involved in the justice (and political) systems.
Yeah it’s nonsense. To hear Nicholas Kearns, when he was on the defensive about Shane Rosses Judicial Appointments Bill - the essence of his argument was that civilians couldn’t possibly be qualified to pick judges so yes, they do actually believe they are above the system, which is fucking nonsense if you ask me. It’s just begging to be a socially myopic monoculture
Unfortunately the legal system here is a tiny clique of people who consider themselves better then everyone else but who are completely out of touch with ordinary people. It needs to change but hard to see how.
Perhaps by establishing an oversight board with real powers that can force accountability made up not only by legal professionals but by lay people too.
Like everything else it will eventually be captured by the usual "professionals". Nothing short of direct involvement of lay people in the justice system will suffice, but I'm wasting my breath as that will never happen. Even the Troika couldn't get any changes made to the legal system here.
The victim directly impacted by the crime and their families should have the automatic right to sit with a panel and describe the impact that crime has had on them.
Are judges not restricted by sentencing guidelines and precedent in law? Decisions by judges seem outrageous in some cases. I find it hard to believe it's as easy as vilifying judges as individuals. Their sentencing goes beyond common sense so surely there is something else at play. It feels too easy to say "ah sure they're out of touch". There must be a more logical explanation
Yes of course there are sentencing guidelines, but suspended sentences are not a result of being restricted by them!
For example, guidelines for assault include "the maximum sentence for assault causing harm, a common offence in domestic abuse cases as well as in other assaults, increases from five years to ten years".
( https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/7bce1-new-criminal-offences-and-tougher-sentences-take-effect-from-today-minister-mcentee-announces/#:~:text=the%20maximum%20sentence%20for%20assault,five%20years%20to%20ten%20years )
Why the application of a suspended sentence in cases like these? I've no idea.
By all means contact the Judicial Conduct Committee and find out.
https://judicialcouncil.ie/judicial-conduct-committee
See if you've any better luck than I did!
Or maybe by men holding the men in their lives accountable??? By men having tough open conversations with their pals. 1 in 4 Irish women experience abuse, according to the latest report by womensaid. If you are a man, it's statistically likely that you have a male friend or acquaintance who has abused a woman either emotionally, financially or physically.
The vast majority of incidences of violence against women will never make it to a garda station, never mind a judge. This big focus on incoherent judging, while valid, misses the point. Even if we completely change the way judges rule in cases like this, and hold them accountable to sentencing... Irish men will continue to subject women to emotional, financial and physical abuse.
Here's the report https://www.womensaid.ie/get-informed/news-events/media-releases/domestic-abuse-disclosures-at-a-record-high-in-2023-according-to-womens-aid/
And 1 in 4 men are victims of abuse. There's no need to make this a gender issue when women are responsible for almost as much abuse as men when it comes to intimate partner violence.
The problem is big social media platforms will spread a lot of mouth frothing nonsense quickly but fuck all of them will do 2 hours research into a judge and local government and direct people towards where they can be heard
*"William Galvin, 33, of Cloonloughlin, Mount Talbot, Co. Roscommon, pleaded guilty at this week’s sessions of Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm after an eight-week relationship with the woman.*
*She revealed that Galvin told her* ***he would treat her like a dog as he pulled her along the ground in a row over a vacuum cleaner****, which he removed from her home.*
*In her victim impact statement, the woman told how* ***she had to get gardai to make him delete a phone app he used to watch her through cameras installed in her home.***
*The attack happened at Manor Valley, Monksland, Athlone, Co. Roscommon on 8 November 2021.*
*Judge Keenan Johnson noted Galvin has since been* ***diagnosed as being bipolar and prescribed medication,*** *which significantly reduced his risk of reoffending.*
*The sentence was suspended once he did not reoffend in the next five years and obeyed several conditions.*
*Judge Keenan Johnson also ordered him to pay her just over €7,500 and never to contact the woman or her family.*
...."
Hope William stays on the anti-vacuum meds.
They're all former barristers and solicitors and you don't become one of them unless you have money, so they aren't representative of the general population
I was wrongly charged twice by Gardaí of two related instances of BnE. The standard *we'll reduce the charges if you talk*. Then rearrested me in court with even worse charges.
My public defender told me to plead guilty and stop asking my witness to lie, or shed be deported
I sacked him, and paid a grand for the luxury of a solicitor who would actually use the overwhelming evidence I had provided, proving my innocence.
That solicitor then said he'd have to get the Gards to drop it, as the judge that was sitting almost never finds anyone innocent... the idea being that if they care/can pay they'll appeal to the Circuit Court.
They did drop it, but the charge blocks me going anywhere without a visa, and I couldn't even get my €1k back, as it never went to trial
Shambolic
That's the spicy sauce that nobody, even my lawyer knew.
When you apply for a visa free travel pass, ESTA etc, you fill in a form. Usually any serious criminal charges must be declared on that, conviction or not. Its a check box for Canada/USA.
If you do declare them, your ESTA is rejected.
If you don't, you are lying in writing, and can be jailed, deported, or at the least banned from entry.
Basically travel will cost me hundreds to thousands more now over my lifetime, because of corruption/incompetence
Going by what you said I assume it's this question.
>Have you ever been arrested or convicted for a crime that resulted in serious damage to property, or serious harm to another person or government authority?
In which case if you're going on holiday and haven't been convicted then you'll be fine unless you commit some crime in the US where they might be inclined to do a background check on your criminal history. The fact you've committed a crime worthy of this check means you're fucked anyway.
Bear in mind that this is also a question on the ESTA.
>Have you ever violated any law related to possessing, using, or distributing illegal drugs?
Which many many people have and still check the 'no' box.
All this is a moot point if you've already checked the 'yes' box and been denied once already.
Yep I imagined it was a don't ask don't tell scenario, just not a fan of betting on no one checking my records.
Canadian one specifically called out burglary as a crime you had to declare too, iirc. Which is what I was eventually charged with, even though nothing was taken by the dude on the footage 🙃
As in you don't believe he exists, or in his judgement?
I was fairly skeptical too, but wasn't going to bet my freedom on my "" legal expert "" being wrong
Two separate solicitors who didn't know each other feeding the same line about the same DC judge seems unlikely.
Unless they just all say that to everyone 🤨
Just goes to show how out of touch these judges are.
After all the uproar about the corrupt ruling given to Cathal Crotty, the judge is so out of touch with public sentiment and the massive protest that ensured, he goes and does this???
The mind boggles.
We need Judicial accountability now!
Is that really the answer? That they're out of touch? There has to be some logical explanation because I really find it hard to believe they're all that out of touch and that it's as simple as that
By all means contact the Judicial Conduct Committee and find out.
https://judicialcouncil.ie/judicial-conduct-committee
See if you've any better luck than I did!
They've committed the crimes that they give suspended sentences for. They don't want to set a precedent.
Judges are rapists and domestic abusers. The writing is on the wall.
This needs to be upvoted way more.
Violence against women in Ireland is at a record high. The vast majority of incidences don't even make it to a garda, never mind a judge.
https://www.womensaid.ie/get-informed/news-events/media-releases/domestic-abuse-disclosures-at-a-record-high-in-2023-according-to-womens-aid/
Judge: "In passing this sentence I am taking into account the recent widespread controversy about sentencing, which is why in my judgement I'm making 21 months suspended instead of 16 months" /s
Justice is system is a joke. Convinced Martin Nolan, Keenan Johnson and their cronies are in on the crimes sometimes. Get more time for garlic importing than these actual unbelievable crimes.
> The message has to go out loud and clear that that type of offending is not going to be tolerated under any circumstances.
Followed by 'suspended sentence'. You can't make this shit up 😂
The only professionals in Ireland who can clinically label you with any form of mental illness or neuro-divergency are psychiatrists. So if someone says they’ve been to a doctor for a diagnoses, they’re likely talking about a psychiatrist.
Yeah my tangential experience with the process:
>Go to GP. Get referred to a clinic. The clinic turned down the case, it wasn’t seen as “high risk” enough to deviate resources to.
>Go back to GP. Get referred to the ER. Go to the ER, get referred to a clinic, but you have to go back to your GP first.
>Get your clinic appointment. Talk with them. Go back to your GP 2 weeks later, once they have the notes. Oh you need medication? Well there are side effects so we need blood tests. Next blood test is 3 weeks from now.
>Ok bloods are back, all good to go, we’ll book you in with the GP for 2 weeks from now so they can give a rundown of what the meds are and what to expect.
You find a person who is suicidal, who is in a constant state of paranoia, anxiety, and depression, and you send them through 4-6 months of loops to be medicated. It’s an absolute shit show right now.
I know the headline is very provocative, but the picture painted in the rest of the article is one I don't at all envy presiding over. Seems like a lose lose on either way you go with the verdict.
You missed the best part of the Judges comments :
'The message has to go out loud and clear that that type of offending is not going to be tolerated under any circumstances.”
I’m so sorry but this is again a sign that there is no justice for assaults on women. Being Bipolar shouldn’t allow you to go unpunished for your actions. It’s something lots of people have and don’t violent assault anyone, it’s not a get out of jail card to play.
I’m not going to say I disagree, because I can see your side entirely too. It’s why I don’t envy it, because if you said it’s an injustice, I’d agree with you, but at the same time I will admit that I have a bias because of past experiences with family members who went undiagnosed for years, and the difference between unknowingly living with it, and being aware of it, fuck it’s almost 2 entirely different people.
Our prison system needs reform but to not punish people when they assault women is not the answer either. Honestly all I’m getting the message that assaulting women isn’t really a crime at this stage. It’s terrifying.
If you imprison this particular person, you're not helping anyone, given his condition.
If you give him a suspended, the woman probably feels like he hasn't faced justice.
So yeah, I'd say it's a lose lose, unless the victim has the virtue of a saint and managed to forgive, or at least move on since he's turned over a new sheet (this happened in 2021).
Bipolar disorder isn't a life threatening condition. There are plenty of people in prison with bipolar disorder, Multiple personality disorder, depression, autism.
A psychological condition is no reason to let someone off easy .
Having people in prison with psychological conditions shouldn’t mean we treat every case the same though? There is a very clear difference between someone who knows they are ill, and refuses to seek help, and someone who doesn’t know they’re ill, but is willing to treat it when they find out.
From what we can know of this case, it seems straight forward enough.
There was someone with undiagnosed bipolar disorder. They likely had a severe manic episode (the cameras app is very suggestive of severe paranoia). When brought to court, he plead guilty for it, and underwent treatment. Since the attack in late 2021, he has been through treatment, is consistently regulated by medication, and has absolutely no other cases of violent behaviour or any incidents at all related to the law. All the while, they have shared no contact and he hasn’t gone back to her.
He gave the terms, reviewed the terms, and by all accounts, the decision to monitor and treat the illness of the attacker, instead of locking him away, has worked.
Any facts to back up your assertions:
>There are plenty of people in prison with bipolar disorder, Multiple personality disorder, depression, autism.
>A psychological condition is no reason to let someone off easy .
Loads of cases where the perpetrator is sentenced due to diminished responsibility so that's not true
I'm wondering if sentencing can be done via online polls.
3 outcomes, severe, medium and mild on a case per case basis, all made by the judge based on criteria setout.
Public votes on which one.
Obviously this is not flawless but some of the sentencing here is genuinely appalling.
Judge Keenan Johnson https://www.rte.ie/news/leinster/2023/1219/1422917-offaly-sentencing/ - eight years, with another two years suspended, 730k Cannabis https://www.rte.ie/news/regional/2020/1120/1179452-tullamore-court/ - Tullamore Circuit Court was told by Garda Helen Colleran that defendant Nicolai Cojuhari, a 28-year-old who has received a three-year suspended sentence for cultivating cannabis, was at the bottom rung of the operation and would be right to fear those above him. https://www.leinsterexpress.ie/news/crime-and-courts/311114/up-to-his-neck-in-drug-dealing.html - sentenced to five years in jail, with a portion suspended ... In total there were 670.8g of cannabis to a value of €13,400, and 30.16g of crystal meth worth €1,825. https://www.independent.ie/regionals/sligo/news/sligo-man-who-bought-drugs-off-the-dark-net-to-sell-is-jailed-for-18-months/42297200.html - A 21 year old Sligo man was sentenced to one year and six months in prison by Judge Keenan Johnson at Sligo Circuit Court for possession of drugs for sale or supply. https://www.rte.ie/news/2017/0718/891265-sligo-assault-compensation/ - attack which resulted in a man having his jaw broken in two places "Judge Johnson imposed a suspended four-year sentence" **"He said a fortune is spent on incarcerating people, but asked what use that is to the victim in this case."** https://www.sundayworld.com/crime/courts/jilted-law-student-19-avoids-jail-after-enlisting-gang-to-tie-up-ex-and-assault-him/1524954476.html - ordered to pay €7,500 in compensation "enlisting a gang of youths to tie her former boyfriend up and violently assault him during the course of an alleged aggravated burglary." https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/ex-accountant-38-jailed-for-sex-assault-on-teenage-girl-celebrating-leaving-cert-results-1551732.html - three years and six months, with the final nine months suspended for four years "for a “disgusting” sexual assault on a vulnerable teenage girl he approached while she was out celebrating her Leaving Certificate results." https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/man-who-repeatedly-punched-and-kicked-pregnant-partner-has-sentence-doubled-1497593.html - Man who repeatedly punched and kicked pregnant partner has sentence doubled. "Jason Doyle (28), who has 86 previous convictions including those for domestic violence, had been charged with four counts of assaulting his then partner, Karen Maguire, causing her harm at their home on January 10th, 2021." originally sentenced to 9 months by Keenan Johsnon https://www.independent.ie/regionals/sligo/news/courts/sligo-man-56-pleads-guilty-to-indecent-assault-of-relative-in-1970s-and-80s/42290823.html - "A 56 year old Sligo man has pleaded guilty to 21 counts of indecently assaulting a female relative in locations in Co Sligo during the late ‘70s and 80s." https://www.independent.ie/regionals/sligo/news/youth-club-leader-jailed-for-abuse-of-young-boy/39214779.html - "A 54-year-old man who founded a youth club and groomed a 16-year-old boy before engaging in sexual acts with him at his home has been given a two-and-a-half year prison sentence." There are literally dozens of more examples of light sentences for brutal attacks & sexual assaults by Judge Keenan Johnson. **“Let nobody claim that cannabis is a harmless drug,” Judge Keenan Johnson stated in Waterford Circuit Criminal Court last week when told that a drug addict was forced to hold cannabis with a street value of more than €5,000 for a major player in the local drugs scene.**
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/man-27-pleads-guilty-to-sexually-assaulting-14-year-old-schoolgirl-on-dublin-bus/a729546763.html This chap got a suspended sentence for an hours long sexual assault on a 14 year old girl.
Thank you for putting these all together; this is insane🫠
National disgrace. Actively anti social with these decisions
Yup, a man that claims ["The drug barons behind the drug trade in Ireland are the greatest threat facing the stability of our society,”](https://m.sundayworld.com/crime/courts/judge-blasts-drug-barons-during-sentence-hearing-saying-they-are-the-greatest-threat-facing-irish-society/40374950.html) while giving suspended sentences to paedophiles
Most irish judges will be 60+ and have their own erroneous old world ideas about certain things. Literally doing the opposite of the ethos of the job
Age is not an excuse Neither to have awful world ideas or to do your job poorly on purpose
Power corrupts; water is wet; what goes up … etc without proper judicial oversight this kind of thing is inevitable.
Correct but who will oversight them ? One old fucks mentally stuck in previous century oversighting another old fucks mentally stuck in previous century. I can't see this would be done any other way if at all.
I would be happy to see any sort of good faith step in the right direction. I thought Shane Rosses proposals were thoughtful and reasonable.
Don't forget that drug sale and supply offences are 3 tax offences in a trench coat. 😉
That's some incredible sleuthing Fair play
There's only one explanation. Judge Keenan Johnson is a violent sex offender himself and doesn't want to set a precedent for if he gets caught. I don't care if it's libel. Fuck him enabling these people. He may as well have done it himself.
Ireland is such a soft touch.
Absolutely disgusting. Fair play for compiling this list.
How many times does it need to be said that the Oireachtas has decided drug offences are more serious than assaults, etc? Judges can't ignore the law.
We almost need a reset at this point. Like WTF. How do we fix this.
By holding judges publicly accountable. Stop this nonsense of giving them a job for life and saying to them "off you go, do whatever you think yourself and nobody will, sorry, nobody *can* question you about it".
Civilians on the appointments panel FTW!
We need to radically chance the system here and move to judging panels composed of legal pros and lay people as there are in other countries. The current system is literally descended from the middle ages and going to the king or local lord. We live in a democracy yet give essentially ultimate power to these individuals to run their own mini fifedoms and who expect to be treated as above everyone else. It's outdated and no longer necessary in a country where the entire population is well educated and capable of being more directly involved in the justice (and political) systems.
Yeah it’s nonsense. To hear Nicholas Kearns, when he was on the defensive about Shane Rosses Judicial Appointments Bill - the essence of his argument was that civilians couldn’t possibly be qualified to pick judges so yes, they do actually believe they are above the system, which is fucking nonsense if you ask me. It’s just begging to be a socially myopic monoculture
Unfortunately the legal system here is a tiny clique of people who consider themselves better then everyone else but who are completely out of touch with ordinary people. It needs to change but hard to see how.
A very powerful and well connected clique. It’s not going to be easy to shift em.
Perhaps by establishing an oversight board with real powers that can force accountability made up not only by legal professionals but by lay people too.
Like everything else it will eventually be captured by the usual "professionals". Nothing short of direct involvement of lay people in the justice system will suffice, but I'm wasting my breath as that will never happen. Even the Troika couldn't get any changes made to the legal system here.
The victim directly impacted by the crime and their families should have the automatic right to sit with a panel and describe the impact that crime has had on them.
Are judges not restricted by sentencing guidelines and precedent in law? Decisions by judges seem outrageous in some cases. I find it hard to believe it's as easy as vilifying judges as individuals. Their sentencing goes beyond common sense so surely there is something else at play. It feels too easy to say "ah sure they're out of touch". There must be a more logical explanation
Yes of course there are sentencing guidelines, but suspended sentences are not a result of being restricted by them! For example, guidelines for assault include "the maximum sentence for assault causing harm, a common offence in domestic abuse cases as well as in other assaults, increases from five years to ten years". ( https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/7bce1-new-criminal-offences-and-tougher-sentences-take-effect-from-today-minister-mcentee-announces/#:~:text=the%20maximum%20sentence%20for%20assault,five%20years%20to%20ten%20years ) Why the application of a suspended sentence in cases like these? I've no idea. By all means contact the Judicial Conduct Committee and find out. https://judicialcouncil.ie/judicial-conduct-committee See if you've any better luck than I did!
Or maybe by men holding the men in their lives accountable??? By men having tough open conversations with their pals. 1 in 4 Irish women experience abuse, according to the latest report by womensaid. If you are a man, it's statistically likely that you have a male friend or acquaintance who has abused a woman either emotionally, financially or physically.
That is a humanity problem, not a judge problem. Reducing the number of offenses does not make their sentencing any more coherent.
The vast majority of incidences of violence against women will never make it to a garda station, never mind a judge. This big focus on incoherent judging, while valid, misses the point. Even if we completely change the way judges rule in cases like this, and hold them accountable to sentencing... Irish men will continue to subject women to emotional, financial and physical abuse. Here's the report https://www.womensaid.ie/get-informed/news-events/media-releases/domestic-abuse-disclosures-at-a-record-high-in-2023-according-to-womens-aid/
You are pretty much arguing *But this is also bad* Which no one denied, it just isn't the topic of the post.
And 1 in 4 men are victims of abuse. There's no need to make this a gender issue when women are responsible for almost as much abuse as men when it comes to intimate partner violence.
Happy to read your sources!
The problem is big social media platforms will spread a lot of mouth frothing nonsense quickly but fuck all of them will do 2 hours research into a judge and local government and direct people towards where they can be heard
*"William Galvin, 33, of Cloonloughlin, Mount Talbot, Co. Roscommon, pleaded guilty at this week’s sessions of Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm after an eight-week relationship with the woman.* *She revealed that Galvin told her* ***he would treat her like a dog as he pulled her along the ground in a row over a vacuum cleaner****, which he removed from her home.* *In her victim impact statement, the woman told how* ***she had to get gardai to make him delete a phone app he used to watch her through cameras installed in her home.*** *The attack happened at Manor Valley, Monksland, Athlone, Co. Roscommon on 8 November 2021.* *Judge Keenan Johnson noted Galvin has since been* ***diagnosed as being bipolar and prescribed medication,*** *which significantly reduced his risk of reoffending.* *The sentence was suspended once he did not reoffend in the next five years and obeyed several conditions.* *Judge Keenan Johnson also ordered him to pay her just over €7,500 and never to contact the woman or her family.* ...." Hope William stays on the anti-vacuum meds.
Where do we get these twats from. It seems the biggest tools in Ireland, out of touch with the public are judges.
They're all former barristers and solicitors and you don't become one of them unless you have money, so they aren't representative of the general population
Throwbacks to British rule. The whole system needs to be scrapped.
I was wrongly charged twice by Gardaí of two related instances of BnE. The standard *we'll reduce the charges if you talk*. Then rearrested me in court with even worse charges. My public defender told me to plead guilty and stop asking my witness to lie, or shed be deported I sacked him, and paid a grand for the luxury of a solicitor who would actually use the overwhelming evidence I had provided, proving my innocence. That solicitor then said he'd have to get the Gards to drop it, as the judge that was sitting almost never finds anyone innocent... the idea being that if they care/can pay they'll appeal to the Circuit Court. They did drop it, but the charge blocks me going anywhere without a visa, and I couldn't even get my €1k back, as it never went to trial Shambolic
How does a charge without conviction prevent you travelling since you've never been convicted?
That's the spicy sauce that nobody, even my lawyer knew. When you apply for a visa free travel pass, ESTA etc, you fill in a form. Usually any serious criminal charges must be declared on that, conviction or not. Its a check box for Canada/USA. If you do declare them, your ESTA is rejected. If you don't, you are lying in writing, and can be jailed, deported, or at the least banned from entry. Basically travel will cost me hundreds to thousands more now over my lifetime, because of corruption/incompetence
Going by what you said I assume it's this question. >Have you ever been arrested or convicted for a crime that resulted in serious damage to property, or serious harm to another person or government authority? In which case if you're going on holiday and haven't been convicted then you'll be fine unless you commit some crime in the US where they might be inclined to do a background check on your criminal history. The fact you've committed a crime worthy of this check means you're fucked anyway. Bear in mind that this is also a question on the ESTA. >Have you ever violated any law related to possessing, using, or distributing illegal drugs? Which many many people have and still check the 'no' box. All this is a moot point if you've already checked the 'yes' box and been denied once already.
Yep I imagined it was a don't ask don't tell scenario, just not a fan of betting on no one checking my records. Canadian one specifically called out burglary as a crime you had to declare too, iirc. Which is what I was eventually charged with, even though nothing was taken by the dude on the footage 🙃
I don't believe for one second in any judge who finds everyone not innocent
As in you don't believe he exists, or in his judgement? I was fairly skeptical too, but wasn't going to bet my freedom on my "" legal expert "" being wrong
The solicitor fed you a line. Don't blame you one bit, freedom etc, .
Two separate solicitors who didn't know each other feeding the same line about the same DC judge seems unlikely. Unless they just all say that to everyone 🤨
Just goes to show how out of touch these judges are. After all the uproar about the corrupt ruling given to Cathal Crotty, the judge is so out of touch with public sentiment and the massive protest that ensured, he goes and does this??? The mind boggles. We need Judicial accountability now!
Is that really the answer? That they're out of touch? There has to be some logical explanation because I really find it hard to believe they're all that out of touch and that it's as simple as that
By all means contact the Judicial Conduct Committee and find out. https://judicialcouncil.ie/judicial-conduct-committee See if you've any better luck than I did!
They've committed the crimes that they give suspended sentences for. They don't want to set a precedent. Judges are rapists and domestic abusers. The writing is on the wall.
This needs to be upvoted way more. Violence against women in Ireland is at a record high. The vast majority of incidences don't even make it to a garda, never mind a judge. https://www.womensaid.ie/get-informed/news-events/media-releases/domestic-abuse-disclosures-at-a-record-high-in-2023-according-to-womens-aid/
Judge: "In passing this sentence I am taking into account the recent widespread controversy about sentencing, which is why in my judgement I'm making 21 months suspended instead of 16 months" /s
Make. Crime. Illegal.
Disgusting
How.. are the judges in this country just told to ignore violence??
Justice is system is a joke. Convinced Martin Nolan, Keenan Johnson and their cronies are in on the crimes sometimes. Get more time for garlic importing than these actual unbelievable crimes.
Is there simply no prison space so they have to hand out these sentences or what the hell is wrong?
We literally need a generation to die off and start again (sorry mostly lovely older folk)
What the hell is wrong with these Judges.
> The message has to go out loud and clear that that type of offending is not going to be tolerated under any circumstances. Followed by 'suspended sentence'. You can't make this shit up 😂
So a doctor diagnosed him as bipolar. Would it not perhaps be a good idea to have this person assessed by a psychiatrist at some point?
The only professionals in Ireland who can clinically label you with any form of mental illness or neuro-divergency are psychiatrists. So if someone says they’ve been to a doctor for a diagnoses, they’re likely talking about a psychiatrist.
and it can take absolutely for fucking ever to get an appointment if you feel something wrong and you wanna treat yourself
Yeah my tangential experience with the process: >Go to GP. Get referred to a clinic. The clinic turned down the case, it wasn’t seen as “high risk” enough to deviate resources to. >Go back to GP. Get referred to the ER. Go to the ER, get referred to a clinic, but you have to go back to your GP first. >Get your clinic appointment. Talk with them. Go back to your GP 2 weeks later, once they have the notes. Oh you need medication? Well there are side effects so we need blood tests. Next blood test is 3 weeks from now. >Ok bloods are back, all good to go, we’ll book you in with the GP for 2 weeks from now so they can give a rundown of what the meds are and what to expect. You find a person who is suicidal, who is in a constant state of paranoia, anxiety, and depression, and you send them through 4-6 months of loops to be medicated. It’s an absolute shit show right now.
Okay. Let's say he is bipolar. How does it change anything? He knew exactly what he was doing, he was fully responsible
What the fuck is wrong with the justice system in this country?
I know the headline is very provocative, but the picture painted in the rest of the article is one I don't at all envy presiding over. Seems like a lose lose on either way you go with the verdict.
You missed the best part of the Judges comments : 'The message has to go out loud and clear that that type of offending is not going to be tolerated under any circumstances.”
Yet he tolerates it!
Noticed that, almost like it's a joke from waterford whispers
I’m so sorry but this is again a sign that there is no justice for assaults on women. Being Bipolar shouldn’t allow you to go unpunished for your actions. It’s something lots of people have and don’t violent assault anyone, it’s not a get out of jail card to play.
I’m not going to say I disagree, because I can see your side entirely too. It’s why I don’t envy it, because if you said it’s an injustice, I’d agree with you, but at the same time I will admit that I have a bias because of past experiences with family members who went undiagnosed for years, and the difference between unknowingly living with it, and being aware of it, fuck it’s almost 2 entirely different people.
Our prison system needs reform but to not punish people when they assault women is not the answer either. Honestly all I’m getting the message that assaulting women isn’t really a crime at this stage. It’s terrifying.
Why would a 21 month non suspended sentence be a lose lose?
If you imprison this particular person, you're not helping anyone, given his condition. If you give him a suspended, the woman probably feels like he hasn't faced justice. So yeah, I'd say it's a lose lose, unless the victim has the virtue of a saint and managed to forgive, or at least move on since he's turned over a new sheet (this happened in 2021).
Bipolar disorder isn't a life threatening condition. There are plenty of people in prison with bipolar disorder, Multiple personality disorder, depression, autism. A psychological condition is no reason to let someone off easy .
Having people in prison with psychological conditions shouldn’t mean we treat every case the same though? There is a very clear difference between someone who knows they are ill, and refuses to seek help, and someone who doesn’t know they’re ill, but is willing to treat it when they find out. From what we can know of this case, it seems straight forward enough. There was someone with undiagnosed bipolar disorder. They likely had a severe manic episode (the cameras app is very suggestive of severe paranoia). When brought to court, he plead guilty for it, and underwent treatment. Since the attack in late 2021, he has been through treatment, is consistently regulated by medication, and has absolutely no other cases of violent behaviour or any incidents at all related to the law. All the while, they have shared no contact and he hasn’t gone back to her. He gave the terms, reviewed the terms, and by all accounts, the decision to monitor and treat the illness of the attacker, instead of locking him away, has worked.
Any facts to back up your assertions: >There are plenty of people in prison with bipolar disorder, Multiple personality disorder, depression, autism. >A psychological condition is no reason to let someone off easy . Loads of cases where the perpetrator is sentenced due to diminished responsibility so that's not true
That’ll teach him.
This is insane and infuriating. The courts appear to have launched a war on women.
Ah sure look, she was asking for it. Case closed. Boys will be boys
I think it's more a case of scum will be scum and judges will be unfit for purpose.
Course he did
Fuck this, sharpens pitchfork
I think this is finally going to get me to write to my local TD. Feck this nonsense.
Seems to be the go to for most offences recently. Like our judges don't know anything else
I'm wondering if sentencing can be done via online polls. 3 outcomes, severe, medium and mild on a case per case basis, all made by the judge based on criteria setout. Public votes on which one. Obviously this is not flawless but some of the sentencing here is genuinely appalling.
we need american judges when dealing with horrifying assaults
> lack of formal employment Every time