Galway Bay fm newsroom - Galway native convicted rapist Garrett Phillips has received an 11-month sentence today for failing to register as a sex offender while out on bail awaiting sentence in July.
It will be concurrent to the six-year sentence he is currently serving.
The 47-year-old former Ros na Rún actor was convicted by a jury on April 18 of orally raping a then 20-year-old student at a Galway city location in November 2015, following a four-day trial at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin.
He was allowed out on bail at the time on condition he sign on at his local Garda station in Galway three times a week, to await sentence in July.
In the intervening period, however, Phillips failed to place himself on the Sex Offender’s Register as required following his conviction for rape in April.
He subsequently received a six-year prison sentence in July for the rape offence and is expected to serve four-and-a-half years with remission.
Gardai in Galway moved to have him prosecuted for not registering as a sex offender following his conviction and he was brought in custody before Galway District Court on August 28
The matter was adjourned to today’s court for sentence where Sergeant Finbarr Philpott said the accused should have notified Gardaí of his personal details, including his address, following his conviction in April, as required by the obligations of the Sex Offenders Act.
The court was told Phillips registered as a sex offender in May when he became aware of his obligations while still out on bail awaiting sentence, which was passed on July 9.
Judge Mary Fahy said that Phillips was “in the wrong” not to have registered straight after his conviction, but his defence was that he was going to the Garda station signing on three times a week as part of his bail conditions at the time.
Judge Fahy said it was not a deliberate non-compliance and noting the guilty plea, she sentenced Phillips to 11 months in prison, concurrent to the six-year sentence he is currently serving.
