A Dublin man who sexually assaulted a woman he met on the dating app Tinder has had his sentence cut in half on appeal.
Paul Flaherty was initially jailed for five years for forcing himself on her at his home in Kiltipper Avenue, Tallaght four years ago.
It happened in August 2015 after a day spent drinking together on their first date.
After matching on Tinder, the jury heard Paul Flaherty exchanged numbers with the woman and arranged a date.
After spending the day drinking together on August 31st 2015, they went to his parent’s house where there was some consensual kissing in his bedroom.
At trial, she said she told him she wasn't interested in anything more but that he ignored her request, took off her clothes, choked her and sexually assaulted her.
She said her life would never be the same again.
Flaherty, who is 32-years-old, was found guilty of sexual assault and jailed for five years.
However, his barrister successfully appealed that sentence on the basis that there was no way of knowing which act or acts the jury convicted him for.
Michael O’Higgins said the acts should have been broken down into separate charges so an accurate assessment of seriousness could be applied.
The Court of Appeal believed the original sentence was too high.
The judges overturned it and handed down a new sentence of two and a half years.
