Latest news with #restorativeJustice
BreakingNews.ie
01-07-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
Spanish tourist raped in Dublin city centre says she wants to meet attacker
A Spanish tourist who was raped in Dublin city centre during New Year's Eve celebrations has said she wants to meet her attacker in a safe space and ask him how he could have been so cruel. The prosecution will now look into providing restorative justice for the complainant to allow her to do this, with the court hearing that it is rarely utilised for victims in rape cases before the Central Criminal Court. Advertisement Christopher O'Grady (33), formerly of Muirhevnamor, Dundalk, Co Louth, was found guilty of one count of raping the then 19-year-old woman on January 1st, 2019, following a trial last March. He was homeless at the time. In her victim impact statement which was read out by prosecution counsel, Tony McGillicuddy SC, the woman said: 'I don't know why, but I want to meet him in a safe space and look him in the eyes and ask him what reason would anyone have to be so cruel to a young woman.' '...I want to know if he believes his own lies. I want him to truly see me and be forced to see himself as monstrous as I saw him.' She outlined the effects the rape have had on her, saying O'Grady turned her life upside down. 'He didn't see the person behind the body,' she said. Advertisement She described how she can no longer socialise or dance like she used to, is fearful of walking alone at night and is hypervigilant of other young women out at night. Padraig Dwyer SC, defending O'Grady, submitted his client was guilty of rape on the basis that he was reckless as to whether the young woman was consenting or not. He said O'Grady now accepts his guilt and wished to apologise to the victim for the hurt and pain he caused her. After some consultation with both O'Grady and the complainant, the court was told that they are both willing to engage in restorative justice. Ms Justice Caroline Biggs warned O'Grady that this does not mean he will not be serving a custodial sentence for his offending. She noted that any restorative justice process would need to be managed by appropriate individuals, given the effects of the crime on the complainant. Advertisement Mr McGillycuddy said he had some knowledge of restorative justice but was 'not aware of it being used for an offence of this nature'. 'I'm not sure how developed that system is or which agency would be appropriate to do it,' he said. Ms Justice Biggs adjourned the case to July 24th to give the prosecution time to look into the issue. The trial heard the woman had been in town to watch the New Year's Eve fireworks that night when she got separated from her friend and came into contact with O'Grady outside a shop. She told the court she was trying to find a bar to meet her friend and O'Grady walked her through town to a car park area where the alleged rape occurred. Advertisement The woman said she felt 'like a doll' and didn't have any strength in her body during the alleged incident. Afterwards, the court has heard, she walked with O'Grady back through the city centre for about 40 minutes, where she got talking to a couple – a man and woman - outside a shop and parted ways with O'Grady. The woman ended up in a B&B with the second man after the woman went home, where they had anal sex before the woman went home to her accommodation. She told the court it was painful, and she persuaded the man to stop. The trial was played CCTV footage of this encounter, which occurred in the hallway of the B&B. Ms Justice Biggs warned the jury that they may find this footage 'intrusive' and 'distressing', but she said she had made the decision that it needed to be shown in court as O'Grady had a constitutional right to put the evidence before them. When the complainant woke up the next morning, she told the court she 'realised I had two rapes and there might be a medical issue with that'. She went to hospital. The court heard no charge was brought against the second man, who gave evidence in the trial. Advertisement Sergeant Eoghan Kirwan told the court that O'Grady has 65 previous convictions, including public order offences, criminal damage, drugs and theft. He took a bench warrant while on bail for this offence and has been in custody since August 2024. Defence counsel said O'Grady was living a 'shambolic' lifestyle at the time of the offence, that he was homeless, begging on the streets and doing drugs.
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Yahoo
Daughter considering meeting mother's killer, Hazel Stewart
The daughter of Lesley Howell has said she has made initial inquiries about possibly meeting her mother's killer to discuss her role in the murder. It comes as Hazel Stewart failed in a legal bid to secure a reduced jail sentence for the double murders of her husband Trevor Buchanan, 32, and 31-year-old Lesley Howell, who was the wife of her former lover Colin Howell. Stewart is currently serving an 18-year term for the 1991 murders. The 62-year-old's fresh legal challenge was made on the basis that she was under the coercive control of Lesley's husband, Colin Howell, who is serving a 21-year sentence in HMP Maghaberry for the murders. Lauren Bradford-Clarke told the BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme she has "reached out" and made "early inquiries" about restorative justice. "It's a very, very complicated thing. It would require me to really kind of drag a lot of stuff up," she said. "Being able to move forward, I think it would be quite a long process," she added. Now an assistant professor in criminology, Ms Bradford-Clarke said she uses her "professional head" in order to deal with the trauma. "Following my mummy's murder, there were five years where Hazel Stewart was very much part of my life, and I very much remember her and remember the time that we had with her," she said. "It's very sad in a lot of ways, I saw her as a mummy. I had lost my mum, and I wanted nothing more than to have a mum." Ms Bradford-Clarke said returning to the court is "very difficult" and "re-traumatising". "I lose sleep, I get very, very upset and emotional. It's definitely something that becomes almost overwhelming," she said. In respect of Stewart's recent appeal, Ms Bradford-Clarke said from her recollection, albeit as a young child, the description of "coercive control" did not fit the relationship between her father and Hazel Stewart. "That is not my professional opinion, that is my personal opinion," she said. "I do not think that coercive control is a factor here, and I certainly do not think Hazel is a victim. "There's many victims in this case. I find it quite distasteful that Hazel Stewart is being labelled a victim here. "What about my mum?" Both victims were found in a fume filled garage in Castlerock, County Londonderry in May 1991. Almost two decades later, Colin Howell confessed to the killings. Police originally believed the deaths were the result of a suicide pact after they discovered their partners were having an extra-marital affair. Instead, they had been drugged and murdered before their bodies were arranged to make it look like they had taken their own lives. Howell also implicated his former lover in the plot and gave evidence against her at her trial. During the trial, the court heard Howell had planned and carried out the killings and Stewart had facilitated them by drugging her husband, allowing Howell into her house and disposing of a hose pipe used in the murder. Speaking on Wednesday after Hazel Stewart's appeal was turned down, Lesley Howell's family, referring to their mother by her maiden name of Lesley Clarke, said they were relieved that this stage of the legal process was over, but there is "no joy and no celebration". "While this decision offers some reassurance, we recognise that there's no true end or closure. "Nothing will bring our mum back," her children said. 'New evidence' on mental health and control of double killer Stewart
BBC News
26-06-2025
- BBC News
Hazel Stewart: Daughter considering meeting mother's killer
The daughter of Lesley Howell has said she has made initial inquiries about possibly meeting her mother's killer to discuss her role in the murder. It comes as Hazel Stewart failed in a legal bid to secure a reduced jail sentence for the double murders of her husband Trevor Buchanan, 32, and 31-year-old Lesley Howell, who was the wife of her former lover Colin Howell. Stewart is currently serving an 18-year term for the 1991 murders. The 62-year-old's fresh legal challenge was made on the basis that she was under the coercive control of Lesley's husband, Colin Howell, who is serving a 21-year sentence in HMP Maghaberry for the murders. 'I saw her as a mummy' Lauren Bradford-Clarke told the BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme she has "reached out" and made "early inquiries" about restorative justice."It's a very, very complicated thing. It would require me to really kind of drag a lot of stuff up," she said. "Being able to move forward, I think it would be quite a long process," she added. Now an assistant professor in criminology, Ms Bradford-Clarke said she uses her "professional head" in order to deal with the trauma."Following my mummy's murder, there were five years where Hazel Stewart was very much part of my life, and I very much remember her and remember the time that we had with her," she said."It's very sad in a lot of ways, I saw her as a mummy. I had lost my mum, and I wanted nothing more than to have a mum."Ms Bradford-Clarke said returning to the court is "very difficult" and "re-traumatising"."I lose sleep, I get very, very upset and emotional. It's definitely something that becomes almost overwhelming," she said. Coercive control In respect of Stewart's recent appeal, Ms Bradford-Clarke said from her recollection, albeit as a young child, the description of "coercive control" did not fit the relationship between her father and Hazel Stewart."That is not my professional opinion, that is my personal opinion," she said. "I do not think that coercive control is a factor here, and I certainly do not think Hazel is a victim."There's many victims in this case. I find it quite distasteful that Hazel Stewart is being labelled a victim here. "What about my mum?" What happened to the victims? Both victims were found in a fume filled garage in Castlerock, County Londonderry in May 1991. Almost two decades later, Colin Howell confessed to the killings. Police originally believed the deaths were the result of a suicide pact after they discovered their partners were having an extra-marital they had been drugged and murdered before their bodies were arranged to make it look like they had taken their own also implicated his former lover in the plot and gave evidence against her at her trial. During the trial, the court heard Howell had planned and carried out the killings and Stewart had facilitated them by drugging her husband, allowing Howell into her house and disposing of a hose pipe used in the murder. 'No joy, no celebration' Speaking on Wednesday after Hazel Stewart's appeal was turned down, Lesley Howell's family, referring to their mother by her maiden name of Lesley Clarke, said they were relieved that this stage of the legal process was over, but there is "no joy and no celebration"."While this decision offers some reassurance, we recognise that there's no true end or closure."Nothing will bring our mum back," her children said.
