Money talks in Ireland

kr7

Just reading this case this morning and I've got to say justice in this country makes me sick.


http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0730/lyons-jailed-for-six-months-for-sexual-assault.html

How can a 'businessman' sexually assault a woman, get a 6 year sentence and have 5 and a half years suspended?

What's going on in Ireland when the so called 'elite' can seemingly buy or wriggle their way out of trouble?

Who does this guy know, or more importantly what does this guy know??

SocSocPol

The family of a sex assault victim have said they are very unhappy at the decision of a judge to suspend five and a half years of a six year sentence imposed on her attacker if he pays her €75,000, they said the judges ruling is a case of "Money Talks".

http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0730/lyons-jailed-for-six-months-for-sexual-assault.html

Duggys Housemate

Obscene.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0730/lyons-jailed-for-six-months-for-sexual-assault.html

Anthony Lyons, the owner of an aviation leasing company, from Griffith Avenue in Dublin, originally denied attacking the woman when arrested near the scene.
However, ten days later he went back to gardaí and claimed he attacked the woman because he was on cholesterol medication, a defence that was rejected by the jury.
Mr Justice Desmond Hogan today sentenced him to six years in prison, but suspended five-and-a-half years of the sentence.
Lyons, who was convicted last month, was also ordered by the judge to pay €75,000 to the victim.
Afterwards, the victim’s family said they were very upset by the sentence and said that this was a case where "money talks".
Lyons is now a registered sex offender.
He attacked the woman as she walked along Griffith Avenue on 3 October 2010.
He came up behind her and said "are you going to get home safely", before rugby tackling her into the trees.
She cried for help but he told her to be quiet. He put his hand over her throat and mouth before sexually assaulting her.
The victim managed to hit him on the head with her mobile phone.
Lyons tried to take it off her and broke off the cover before continuing. She managed to call 999 during the attack and he ran away when a passerby shouted at him.
However, Lyons left his umbrella behind as he tried to escape and was only around 100 metres from his home when the victim, who was in a garda car, identified him and he was arrested.

How in God's name does the judge feel that 6 months is an appropriate sentence for such a sinister sexual assault? The woman in question was a teacher of one of his kids, and when in court he tried to blame his "cholestoral medication"?

This guy lives down the road from me and I certainly don't want him out in 6 bloody months.

donegal_road

5 years in prison @ €70k per year = €350,000 cost to the taxpayer. Maybe the judge is looking at it like that

seamus

Yeah, I was going to post that.

It would seem that provided you have enough money, you can buy your way out of being properly punished for serious crimes.

The money is to compensate the victim, the jail time is to punish the offender. The two should be treated as separate items and one should have no bearing on the other.

Six months for a violent sexual assault, which would have been worse except that it was stopped. Unbelievable.

Hande hoche!

Seems fairly ridiculous.

starbelgrade

He was found guilty of sexual assault, not rape.

Hande hoche!

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056714398

Skid

Six months for Sexual Assault.

Six years for Garlic Smuggling.


Sickening.

mikemac1

Skid wrote: »

Six years for Garlic Smuggling.

This is getting overused

It's become the new "what about the bankers"

Ben D Bus

Can we introduce a garlic ban to AH?

And on topic todays sentence does not look good.

Duggys Housemate

starbelgrade wrote: »

He was found guilty of sexual assault, not rape.

Which included digital penetration. In the first case the charges were too small, lots of countries call that rape.

Diapason

I was going to start blathering on about not knowing the full details etc, but having read the article...

What the absolute f*ck?

SocSocPol

Ben D Bus wrote: »

Can we introduce a garlic ban to AH?

And on topic todays sentence does not look good.

One law for the rich, one law for the rest of us.
Certainly sends out a message to women, dont expect justice if the fcuker that sexually assaults has money and friends!
And people in Ireland were complaining about the justice system in Mauritus.

kr7

Rojomcdojo wrote: »

http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0730/lyons-jailed-for-six-months-for-sexual-assault.html



How in God's name does the judge feel that 6 months is an appropriate sentence for such a sinister sexual assault? The woman in question was a teacher of one of his kids, and when in court he tried to blame his "cholestoral medication"?

This guy lives down the road from me and I certainly don't want him out in 6 bloody months.

Thing is though, he'll probably be out in 2 months.

Maybe it's time the people in Ireland started dispensing their own justice.

I know that if it was my daughter that he attacked, he'd be begging to be put in jail for the full six years and more.

coach23

out of 6 months to serve he'll probably serve 2, in Arbour hill, cushy, then live his life like nothing happened. once again our justice system insults the victim and looks after the criminal

ejmaztec

Ben D Bus wrote: »

Can we introduce a garlic ban to AH?

Okay, just for you Dracula.

Jimmyhologram

Woke up with a dodgy tummy today, actually feel properly sick after reading about this.

Frankie Lee

Last Friday from the same judge.
www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/no-jail-for-man-who-indecently-assaulted-seven-year-old-boy-560932.html

SocSocPol

Frankie Lee wrote: »

Last Friday from the same judge.
www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/no-jail-for-man-who-indecently-assaulted-seven-year-old-boy-560932.html

In my opinion the Judge is a disgrace, I for one will be writing to the DPP asking that she appeal the sentence in the Lyons case.

I am pie

We must surely bring in minimum mandatory sentences for certain offences. I am sick to my stomach thinking about the ordeal the poor woman went through in court, her bravery to see it through and get a conviction...only for this fcking wretched judge to throw it back in her face and have this vermin out walking the streets before Christmas.

Yes, great incentive to take sexual assault cases to court for victims everywhere.

Richard Hillman

If it was a skanger off the street he would have gotten a similar sentence. Its nothing to do with wealth. Sentences for serious crimes in Ireland are always too soft.

asherbassad

75k can hire a lot of muscle to get things done when the courts screw you.

bbam

kr7 wrote: »

I know that if it was my daughter that he attacked, he'd be begging to be put in jail for the full six years and more.

Bingo!
I always think of the guy who was released after his sentace for sexual assault. He went missing and they later found his arm or something washed up on a beach. I couldn't imagine if this was my daughter, I'd happily do time for what I'd do to him.

SocSocPol

Richard Hillman wrote: »

If it was a skanger off the street he would have gotten a similar sentence. Its nothing to do with wealth. Sentences for serious crimes in Ireland are always too soft.

If you believe that then you are deluded.:mad:

davet82

i think the girl done well to get €75k and a few months, i'm surprised he wasnt on the bus home with her tbh

sickening stuff

Plazaman

Disgraceful sentence but looking at the bigger picture, sentencing in general in Ireland is so far out of whack with other countries it's laughable. Then again if we did have the tougher sentences, where do we put the offenders since the prisons in this country are dangerously overcrowded?

Even in prison, money talks according to THIS.

bbam

Richard Hillman wrote: »

If it was a skanger off the street he would have gotten a similar sentence. Its nothing to do with wealth. Sentences for serious crimes in Ireland are always too soft.

What!
It's well known that if you can splash the cash on a good solicitor you have a much better chance of getting away with a slap on the wrist. Judges in general are too removed from society.

davet82

Richard Hillman wrote: »

If it was a skanger off the street he would have gotten a similar sentence.

Justice is suppose to blind but in Ireland its been to specsavers :rolleyes:

Ray Palmer

bbam wrote: »

Richard Hillman wrote: »

If it was a skanger off the street he would have gotten a similar sentence. Its nothing to do with wealth. Sentences for serious crimes in Ireland are always too soft.

What!
It's well known that if you can splash the cash on a good solicitor you have a much better chance of getting away with a slap on the wrist. Judges in general are too removed from society.

Sorry that is just how everything works. More money means you can buy better services. The suggestion here is the 75k got him a lesser sentence. Further suggestions are he knows people who somehow got the judge to give him a lesser sentence.
Considering the sentence sounds like other sentences I doubt that. If somebody can show a grossly different sentence for a similar crime that would support the claims.
The judge would consider the likelihood of repeating the offense and the effect the sentence has.
It seems very lenient but sentences often do.
Really weird he would try this close to his home.

AEDIC

.

AnonoBoy

The medication defence is laughable. I hope to f*ck the judge didn't factor that in when sentencing.

Unavailable for Comment

It is terrible that he will only be in prison for a couple of months but in all fairness, 75K is probably of more use to the victim than seeing her attacker serve at most two years in prison.

Also as he seems to be independently wealthy there's also the option of a civil case to get even more money from him. Obviously cash can't make this ordeal go away for the victim but it can certainly serve to make her suffering more comfortable.

gypsy_rose

AnonoBoy wrote: »

The medication defence is laughable. I hope to f*ck the judge didn't factor that in when sentencing.

I couldn't believe that when I heard it on the news, the jury must have been sickened. I can imagine him telling him friends that and them all nodding in sympathy. At least he's had to step down from his major company and hopefully noone will look at him the same way again.

75K is probably of more use to the victim than seeing her attacker serve at most two years in prison.

Also as he seems to be independently wealthy there's also the option of a civil case to get even more money from him. Obviously cash can't make this ordeal go away for the victim but it can certainly serve to make her suffering more comfortable.

Gonna have to disagree with you there mate, even if it helped you get a house, I'd imagine all you could think of is "this is the house that rape built." If I was her I'd be much happier to see him locked up in the Joy with all the other scumbags for a few years, give him time to think about what he's done.

R0ot

Have to say I came to this thread expecting something completely different....

Guy:Incognito

SocSocPol wrote: »

One law for the rich, one law for the rest of us..

Apart from all the lowlife scrotes that manages ot rack up 50 or 60 convictions and still be on the streets? Or are they rich too?

Carlos_Ray

If the judicial system continues to hand out such ludicrously lenient sentences for such depraved crimes, people will lose faith in it and start to seek their own form of justice instead.

Its getting to the stage now that you'd be better off arranging a lynch mob than calling the police. After all if you killed a person in revenge for a crime they committed you'd almost certainly be out of prison in less than 5 years. Small price to pay for avenging a serious crime against a family member.

The legal system really needs to get its act together in this country its farcical at this stage.

Fuinseog

has the judicial system reached a new low?
apparently a wealthy business man tried to rape a girl but it was cough medicine that made him do it. as he is a man of wealth he could buy his way out of trouble and serve a six year sentence with five and a half months suspended.


it was on TV3 news and RTE news this evening
will the judge be publishing a tariff of how has to pay what for rape or attempted rape? I wonder what the fee would be if it were the judges daughter?

Capt'n Midnight

seamus wrote: »

The money is to compensate the victim, the jail time is to punish the offender. The two should be treated as separate items and one should have no bearing on the other.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0730/lyons-jailed-for-six-months-for-sexual-assault.html

The Rape Crisis Network of Ireland has criticised the six-month jail sentence, saying it was "very low''.

It said the victim did not ask for compensation, she asked for justice and was not consulted as to the compensation.

€75,000 isn't much to a millionaire.

He is described as an owner of an aviation leasing company , there are 5 companies with that name with the same address.

Joey the lips

money talks.... and that is fact.... I wonder if i done that and did not have the 75k compensation would i have still got 6 months.

It really is bs and i pity the victums.

Wacker The Attacker

Like education, healthcare and pretty every other aspect of life, the rich can pay for justice too.

Joey the lips

Money talks and sexual preditors get an easy life over victums....

That 75k wont make a dint on his pocket.

Fuinseog

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0730/lyons-jailed-for-six-months-for-sexual-assault.html€75,000 isn't much to a millionaire.

He is described as an owner of an aviation leasing company , there are 5 companies with that name with the same address.

he would probably spend that amount on a long weekend.
the sentence is handy as he will get time off work. something like a three year sentence would have been most inconvenient.

I wonder will Joe Duffy embrace the issue?

I still haven't heard a reason as to why 90% of his sentence was suspended. Good behaviour? What? This guy is not someone I want walking around my neighbourhood (or anyone elses for that matter) at night.


Where is the remorse? There just seemed to be a consultation with a solicitor during the period after the attack and then a silly "cholesterol medication" excuse.

The attack seems somewhat planned - he knew who she was.


Was none of this taken into account?

Fuinseog

AnonoBoy wrote: »

The medication defence is laughable. I hope to f*ck the judge didn't factor that in when sentencing.

no, he factored in the fact that the accused was man of wealth.

languagenerd

Unavailable for Comment wrote: »

It is terrible that he will only be in prison for a couple of months but in all fairness, 75K is probably of more use to the victim than seeing her attacker serve at most two years in prison.

Also as he seems to be independently wealthy there's also the option of a civil case to get even more money from him. Obviously cash can't make this ordeal go away for the victim but it can certainly serve to make her suffering more comfortable.

I disagree with you too. If it was me, I wouldn't want any money from him - how could you spend it, knowing where it came from and why you had it? I'd much rather say "f*ck the money" and make him serve his full sentence. It's disgusting that he will be totally free to walk the streets and live a normal life in 6 months time after he has quite possible destroyed someone else's.

And it's not so much about the victim seeing him serve time, it's about her (and everyone else) knowing that he's locked up and not able to attack anyone again!

Fuinseog

donegal_road wrote: »

5 years in prison @ €70k per year = €350,000 cost to the taxpayer. Maybe the judge is looking at it like that

people who are less wealthy should pay half that sum when they rape some random woman.

this case will be forgotten about with a week.

Fuinseog

imagine living next door to someone like Anthony Lyons? Griffith Avenue is supposed to be a respectable place.

lazygal

Fuinseog wrote: »

imagine living next door to someone like Anthony Lyons? Griffith Avenue is supposed to be a respectable place.

Rapists can be just as 'respectable' as ordinary people. They don't wear a sign or have an identifier on them.

i71jskz5xu42pb

Ray Palmer wrote: »

Further suggestions are he knows people who somehow got the judge to give him a lesser sentence.

Further suggestions are that the moon is made of green cheese.

Is there any basis to any of these suggestions?