Former priest Richard Brennan resentenced to 14 years for rape of sisters
Ireland's Court of Appeal increased Richard Brennan's original eight-year sentence to 14 years for raping and abusing his sisters. Victims called the ruling "a profound moment of justice and vindication".
Court of Appeal adds six years to former priest's sentence for sibling abuse
Ireland's Court of Appeal has increased the prison sentence of former priest Richard Brennan (65) from eight years to 14, after finding his original term unduly lenient, TheJournal.ie reports. Brennan had pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court in March 2025 to 24 counts of sexual offences — including 18 counts of indecent assault and six of rape — against three of his sisters: Catherine Wrightstone, Yvonne Crist and Paula Fay.
Delivering judgment, Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy said the original sentence failed to reflect the gravity of the offending. Brennan had sexually abused his sisters over a prolonged period, she said, involving repeated rape, the exploitation of vulnerable children, a profound breach of familial trust, and devastating consequences for each victim. He was aged between 17 and 24 at the time of the offending.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had sought a review of the original sentence last month on the grounds that it was unduly lenient. The Court of Appeal today agreed and resentenced Brennan accordingly.
Brennan, with previous addresses in Rathfarnham and the United States, was ordained as a priest in 1989 and moved to the US, where he later married and had a family. He returned to Ireland for questioning and trial. He entered his guilty pleas on the ninth day of proceedings — after each of his three sisters had already given evidence before a jury and before the final victim was about to face cross-examination. Mr Justice David Keane had originally sentenced him to a global term of nine years, with the final 12 months suspended, in July 2025. At the time, the sisters expressed "deep disappointment" with that outcome.
Speaking outside court following today's ruling, Ms Fay described the Court of Appeal's decision as "a profound moment of justice and vindication". She said historical sexual abuse leaves deep scars, and that when the original sentence was handed down it felt like a second injustice — one that gave "undue credit for a late guilty plea and failed to reflect the devastating, lifelong impact of the abuse".
"Today the court has put that right," Ms Fay said. "By recognising the immense scale of Richard's offending, the court has affirmed that historical sexual abuse within a family will not be minimised, and that survivors will be heard."
Ms Fay said the ruling sends a "clear message" that historical sexual abuse will be met with "the full force of the law, regardless of how much time has elapsed". She added that the court delivered an "unequivocal message" that a late guilty plea does not erase "a campaign of abuse", nor does it "diminish the trauma inflicted on victims who had to endure the gruelling process of giving evidence and cross-examination".
"I feel an overwhelming sense of relief that the gravity of this case has finally been recognised," she said. "While no sentence can ever fully undo the damage caused, and while the pain remains, this landmark outcome restores my faith in the justice system and offers a true sense of accountability."
Ms Wrightstone also welcomed the ruling, saying it "finally feels like justice has been served". She expressed gratitude to the DPP for seeking the appeal, and to the three judges who oversaw it. She noted that at the October appeal hearing, Ms Justice Kennedy had challenged the level of mitigation Brennan received for what Wrightstone described as "a self-serving, last-minute expression of remorse".
"Having carried the loneliness and painful consequences of speaking out at age 12 about the abuse and it continuing for many years, it meant a great deal to finally hear that acknowledged," Ms Wrightstone said.
She paid tribute to the advocacy work of Lavinia Kerwick, noting it was her case that led to "a historic legislative change" — empowering the DPP to appeal sentences on grounds of undue leniency and enabling victims to give impact statements in court.
Ms Wrightstone also acknowledged her sister Yvonne Crist, who was not present in court but "shares in our feelings about today's outcome", and expressed a wish that their youngest sister Sinead could have lived to see the result.
She noted that while Ireland had made advances, it remained "difficult to see that enough has changed for survivors, who continue to have to fight to be heard". She said she had written to Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan in April outlining eight specific changes she would like implemented but had not received a substantive response or been granted a meeting.
"We did not waive our anonymity for sympathy, but so that change could occur," Ms Wrightstone said. "I wish those in positions of power would actually listen to survivors and take action towards meaningful change."
Ms Fay closed by addressing survivors "still carrying this burden in silence", saying there is "strength in speaking out, and justice is possible".
Source: TheJournal.ie