Predator Shine’s appeal date finally set

THREE judges will decide this year if convicted sex predator Michael Shine will ever spend another day in jail for his crimes against two young patients, the Irish Daily Mail has learned.

The discredited 85-year-old former surgeon was convicted in November 2017 and sentenced a month later, but he spent just 20 days of his 20-month sentence behind bars. His lawyers then got him out on bail in time for Christmas on grounds of his old age and poor health, pending his appeal hearing – for which a date has now finally been set. Since then, the struck-off doctor, who lives in upmarket Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, has been

out on bail. He has been required simply to live at his address at Wellington Road, to sign on once a week at his local Garda station, and to not leave the country. He was convicted of indecently assaulting two young male patients at the Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, Co. Louth, in the mid-1970s. He has always denied any suggestion of wrongdoing. On March 8, Shine will return to court, and three judges will start hearing his appeal against conviction. But with two separate appeals to be heard – one against conviction and one against sentence – this process

looks set to drag on. An insider told the Mail it could be April or May before the appeal against conviction is ruled on. If that appeal is unsuccessful, his appeal against sentence will be heard at a later date, meaning that the whole process could take until July. The well-placed source explained that by then, Shine’s defence team will be in an even stronger position to argue that – even if his conviction is upheld – he should not be returned to jail, in view of his advancing years. It has taken 15 months to get a hearing date for the appeal, due to delays in the Court of Appeal caused by a high volume of cases.