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Greater Manchester Police

Man tries to meet 14-year-old girl after online chat, is greeted by vigilante group instead

The man was later arrested after he reported the assault by the men to police.

A MAN WHO attempted to meet up with a 14-year-old girl he chatted to online was today sentenced to 12 months in prison in Manchester.

25-year-old Andrew O’Neill today pleaded guilty to attempting to meet a girl under the age of 16 after grooming. The incident happened last month, when the man went to meet who he thought was a 14-year-old girl.

When he arrived, a group of men were waiting for him and assaulted him while another man filmed it.

Later that day, O’Neill reported the assault to police and was arrested and later charged with grooming. On top of his 12 month sentence, he will also have to sign the sex offender register for ten years.

Speaking after his sentencing today, Detective Inspector Martin Reddington of the Wigan division said the man was targeted because he had illegally arranged to meet up with an underage girl online.

“We do not condone vigilante action; it is dangerous and anyone with concerns about grooming should always report it to police.

“Grooming and arranging to meet up with children you have met over the internet is a criminal offence and if you are caught doing this you will be arrested and prosecuted.”

Read: Man jailed for 12 years for sexually assaulting and attempting to rape his sister>

Read: A 47-year-old man has been charged with 145 child sex offences>

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85 Comments
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    Mute Gavin Harrison
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    May 23rd 2023, 1:29 PM

    If he was Irish the local GAA club would send in a character reference to court talking about his good character, work for the community and volunteering for the GAA.

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    Mute An Drew Bearla
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    May 23rd 2023, 2:06 PM

    @Gavin Harrison: but he wasnt Irish. He got a few references from the local Kangaroo and one from a BBQ.

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    Mute James Lyons
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    May 23rd 2023, 1:06 PM

    Makes you wanna believe there’s a hell

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    Mute David Jordan
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    May 23rd 2023, 1:38 PM

    @James Lyons: Victim A: Police wrote to every household in the home in a small Devon village of victim A, appealing for corroborating eye witnesses of Harris twice touching her inappropriately in front of her mother when she was about 9 years old, after cueing to meet him at a packed autograph signing event “attended by hundreds of towns folk.”.

    Police trawled council records and newspapers but failed to find any support that the autograph singing event took place. No one came forward, and no written evidence was found that the event took place. The council was clear that if their town hall was used, they would have a record of it. Before naming Harris, victim A was a member of a child abuse support group and she only named Harris after he was named in the media.

    His conviction relating to Victim A was quashed in appeal. New evidence included retired policemen from a police station across the road from the town hall where the supposed autograph signing event took place sating no such event occurred, as well as people who used to town hall as a tearoom similarly sating no even took place.

    Victim B said that Harris firmly touched her bottom at a charity sports event in 1978, however in TV she changed her story. She couldn’t remember where in Cambridge it happened, she mixed up the parks. She said was very surprised he was convicted of the assault on her and she was happy to help the other victims.

    At the 2nd trial, Victim B’s claim that Harris also assaulted her in a taxi on the same day was rejected.

    Victim D was thousands of dollars in depth when she sold her story for £33,000, of Harris assaulting her in packed pub via her publicity agent and boyfriend. The event was attended by her chaperone and dance group, the first assault happened as she sat on his lap and he again assaulted her after she ran to the pub toilets. She claimed the assault gave her an eating disorder and she could not get any acting parts. However, it was shown she landed an acting part in a TV soap a month after returning to Australia and did not lose weight. Her chaperone clearly remembered the night, that everyone had a good time, she didn’t notice victim D getting upset and she became friends with Harris who she said was very generous and helpful. She at first didn’t believe victim D until she met and talked to her in person.

    At a 2nd trial, a recording was played to the jury of her now ex-boyfriend accusing her of making up her claims for money.

    Victim C, friend of the family. I leave this case till last, as it’s her case that was central to his case.

    Harris was in a consensual relationship with Victim C for about 10 years until she was 29 years old. Then in the early 90s Harris claimed she phoned him and demanded £5000 for her boyfriend’s failing bird sanctuary, Harris claimed it was blackmail and soon after this demand for n money her accusations of sexual abuse were made. However, she has a different story, she said she asked him for £33,000 in 1994, a year after their affair ended, but said it wasn’t blackmail.

    Book written by a member of his defence team at his 2nd trial describes the shaking evidence against Harris:

    https://www.amazon.com/Rolf-Harris-Defence-Special-Investigator-ebook/dp/B0B142BLNY/

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    Mute David Jordan
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    May 23rd 2023, 1:44 PM

    @James Lyons: I have another comment here, from 2014, with links and more far more information regarding the case against Harris.

    https://www.thejournal.ie/rolf-harris-appeal-court-1600392-Aug2014/

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    Mute Liam Byrne
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    May 23rd 2023, 1:50 PM

    @James Lyons:
    The Devil has booked the first dance with him.

    18
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    Mute Ray Buckley
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    May 23rd 2023, 1:57 PM

    @David Jordan: Good insight , thanks .

    72
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    Mute Míchael Búrké
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    May 23rd 2023, 2:54 PM

    @David Jordan: Is that you Mrs. Harris?

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    Mute Tony Murphy
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    May 23rd 2023, 6:04 PM

    @David Jordan: I don’t often agree with you David but I think you’re right here. It’s frightening that anybody can come along years after an alleged event and just accuse someone and that person gets destroyed.

    Having said that Jimmy Savile was known to be a predator of the worst kind yet nobody did anything about it while he lived.

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    Mute Joe Johnson
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    May 24th 2023, 7:31 PM

    @James Lyons: Yea Jim’ll fix it in hell

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    Mute Brian Farrell
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    May 23rd 2023, 1:09 PM

    You should only speak good of the dead.

    Rolf is dead, good.

    230
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    Mute Ciaran O'Mara
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    May 23rd 2023, 2:47 PM

    @Brian Farrell: Rolf was a monster, but I am old enough to remember how much he was loved by the public in the 60s and 70s. “Two little boys” and “Tie me kangaroo down sport” were played constantly in those times. He was a massive star. What a fall.

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    Mute David Jordan
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    May 23rd 2023, 2:48 PM

    @Ciaran O’Mara: @Brian Farrell: Convicted on very shaky evidence. There were originally four victims in the first trial and several more in the 2nd trial.

    His convictions were overturned for in a majority cases.
    He was cleared on appeal of:
    Groping a child at a packed autograph singing event in 1968, evidence showed the event did not take place.
    Groping a bind women who claimed he assaulted her in 1977 at her care home.
    Groping Victim B from the 1st Trial who claimed at his 2nd trial that he also assaulted her in the back of a taxi in 1978 after TV sport show Star Games.
    Cleared of assaulting a women in her 40s who claimed Harris groped her after filming a TV show in 2004.
    Cleared of assaulting a young autograph hunter at a radio studio in the late 70s.

    Another victim at his first trial sold her story of him groping her in a pub in 1986 for £33,000, the story was sold to newspapers via her boyfriend and publicity agent. At Harris’ appeal, a phone answer machine recording was played of her now ex-boyfriend accusing her of making up the story for money. Her chaperone said she did not see anything happen that night, and did not originally believe her. His appeal for this case was rejected.

    And a friend of the family, she was central the case. She had affair with Harris from the age of 19 to 29, but a year after their affaire ended in 1993, Harris claimed she blackmailed him by demanding £5000. Interestingly, she did not deny asking for money, in fact she said she asked him for £30,000 for her boyfriends failing bird sanctuary. Soon after asking for money, which he did not hand over, she confronted him at her parent’s home and accused him of child abuse in 1994. She made a formal complaint in 2012. His appeal for this case was rejected.

    Book written by a member of his defence team at his 2nd trial, he describes the case and the shaky evidence against Harris:

    https://www.amazon.com/Rolf-Harris-Defence-Special-Investigator-ebook/dp/B0B142BLNY/

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    Mute Brian Farrell
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    May 23rd 2023, 3:25 PM

    @David Jordan: short, punchy and to the point. As per most of your comments.

    Well done.

    Out next week defending the Catholic Church?

    48
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    Mute FrustratedASDMum
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    May 23rd 2023, 1:13 PM

    Just glad he didn’t escape justice before he died like Saville.

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    Mute Liz O'Neill
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    May 23rd 2023, 1:15 PM

    Didgereedone.

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    Mute paul whelan
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    May 23rd 2023, 1:28 PM

    The tip of the iceberg,there everywhere in the entertainment and tv world

    78
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    Mute David Jordan
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    May 23rd 2023, 1:33 PM

    The serious doubts regarding his convictions.

    Victim A: Police wrote to every household in the home in a small Devon village of victim A, appealing for corroborating eye witnesses of Harris twice touching her inappropriately in front of her mother when she was about 9 years old, after cueing to meet him at a packed autograph signing event “attended by hundreds of towns folk.”. Police trawled council records and newspapers but failed to find any support that the autograph singing event took place. No one came forward, and no written evidence was found the event took place. The council was clear that if their town hall was used, they would have a record of it. Before naming Harris, victim A was a member of a child abuse support group and she only named Harris after he was named in the media.

    His conviction was quashed in appeal. Evidence included witnesses retired policemen from a police station across the road from the town hall where the supposed autograph signing event took place sating no such event occurred, as well as people who used to town hall as a tearoom.

    Victim B said that Harris firmly touched her bottom at a charity sports event, on TV she changed her story to, he touched my breast in TV interviews. She couldn’t remember where in Cambridge it happened, she mixed up the parks. She said was very surprised he was convicted of the assault on her and she was happy to help the other victims.

    At the 2nd trial, Victim B’s claim that Harris also assaulted her in a taxi on the same day was rejected.

    Victim D was thousands of dollars in depth when she sold her story for £33,000, of Harris assaulting her in packed pub via her publicity agent and boyfriend. The event was attended by her chaperone and dance group, the first assault happened as she sat on his lap and he again sexually assaulted her after she ran to the pub toilets. She claimed the assault gave her an eating disorder and she could not get any acting parts. However, it was shown she landed an acting part in a TV soap a month after returning to Australia. Her chaperone clearly remembered the night, that everyone had a good time, she didn’t notice victim D getting upset an she became friends with Harris who she said was very generous and helpful. She at first didn’t believe victim D until she met and talked to her in person.

    At a 2nd trial, a recording was played to the jury of her now ex-boyfriend accusing her of making up her claims for money.

    Victim C, friend of the family. I leave this case till last, as it’s her case that was central to his case.

    Harris was in a consensual relationship with Victim C for about 10 years until she was 29 years old. Then in the early 90s Harris claimed she phoned him and demanded £5000 for her boyfriend’s failing bird sanctuary, Harris claimed it was blackmail an after this her accusations of sexual abuse were made. However, she has a different story, she said she asked him for £30,000 in 1994, a year after their affair ended, but said it wasn’t blackmail. So the year she broke up with Harris, she started accusing him of child abuse in the after she didn’t get the money for her boyfriend’s bird sanctuary.

    Book written by a member of his defence team at his 2nd trial:

    https://www.amazon.com/Rolf-Harris-Defence-Special-Investigator-ebook/dp/B0B142BLNY/

    84
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    Mute Míchael Búrké
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    May 23rd 2023, 2:58 PM

    @David Jordan: These repeat diatribes of yours have more the a whiff of desperation about them. Why the multiple repeat comments?

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    Mute Derek Lyster
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    May 23rd 2023, 1:07 PM

    Shame it took so long

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    Mute Rotts
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    May 23rd 2023, 1:08 PM

    That’s great news and it most certainly brighten up my day

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    Mute Jimmy Reid
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    May 23rd 2023, 1:07 PM

    In the ground without a box. Good riddance

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    Mute David Corcoran
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    May 23rd 2023, 1:07 PM

    How God allowed him to live so long baffles me

    52
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    Mute John Mulligan
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    May 23rd 2023, 1:20 PM

    @David Corcoran: The Devil looks after his own.

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    Mute Gearóid MacEachaidh
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    May 23rd 2023, 1:32 PM

    @David Corcoran: it’s almost as if God doesn’t exist

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    Mute Rob Cahill
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    May 23rd 2023, 2:03 PM

    @David Corcoran: Not really that baffling to be fair.

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    Mute Brian Dunne
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    May 23rd 2023, 1:06 PM

    Feck the loss

    45
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    Mute WhaleOil BeefHooked
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    May 23rd 2023, 1:06 PM

    Straight to hell.

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    Mute Gavin Courtney
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    May 23rd 2023, 1:26 PM

    Good riddance. He won’t be missed

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    Mute sean o'dhubhghaill
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    May 23rd 2023, 3:05 PM

    He was NEVER as creepy or as cringey as Jimmy Saville. Saville ALWAYS made my skin crawl.

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    Mute Tony Murphy
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    May 23rd 2023, 6:07 PM

    @sean o’dhubhghaill: Savile was literally a demon. Yet the Establishment, including the Royals, stood by him to the end.

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    Mute Shane Hickey
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    May 23rd 2023, 1:18 PM

    I absolutely idolized him as a child in the 70s. Now i hope hell exists for him

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    Mute Linda Hegarty
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    May 23rd 2023, 1:12 PM

    Best news I’ve heard on along time, it’s a pity alot more wouldn’t die as well…Good riddance.

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    Mute james melia
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    May 23rd 2023, 6:10 PM

    Always seemed like he might have been scapegoated. Those were the 60s and 70s the age of the teenybopper and free love. There must have been plenty others – including household names – that got away scot free.

    26
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    Mute Stephen Gaffney
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    May 23rd 2023, 1:50 PM

    Rolf Hearse

    20
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    Mute Maisfkok
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    May 23rd 2023, 3:04 PM

    ‘Turn off the comments’

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    Mute Keith P
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    May 23rd 2023, 1:28 PM

    The skum bag

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    Mute Dermot O'Donnell
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    May 23rd 2023, 2:15 PM

    Not soon enough

    12
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    Mute John Kieran G.
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    May 23rd 2023, 3:23 PM

    He died two weeks ago on May 10th. Already cremated and his death was only registered with the local Council today. He’s well gone by bow.

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    Mute Brian Farrell
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    May 23rd 2023, 2:47 PM

    Can you tell if he’s dead yet.

    15
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    Mute Stiofán Ó Cearnaigh
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    May 23rd 2023, 1:22 PM

    May he burn

    25
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    Mute Sandra Lysaght
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    May 23rd 2023, 2:51 PM

    Best news ive heard in a while. Delightef

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    Mute Jim Brock
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    May 23rd 2023, 2:08 PM

    Must be having a Mandela effect as I thought this guy died 10 years ago.

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    Mute patrick kelly
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    May 23rd 2023, 1:25 PM

    didgeridoo

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    Mute Breda Appleby
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    May 23rd 2023, 4:18 PM

    I find it hard to believe that Rolf Harris was a paedophile
    We loved his songs and stage performances
    My sister and myself just had our first babies,2 little boys,and we dedicated the song 2 little boys to them. You cant trust any of them. What a dirty rotten individual. Himself and Saville,rotten to the core and they got away with it for so long. We have to be always on the alert now. I dont think I can trust any of them
    Full of evil. Maybe God will forgive them

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    Mute Pato
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    May 23rd 2023, 1:23 PM

    Keep playing ’till I shoot through blue!

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    Mute BarryH
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    May 23rd 2023, 8:39 PM

    It is truly horrific but beyond that are those covering up for the likes of Harris etc, who walk away Scot free. Peerveees getting part of their sentence suspended or released when they are still a danger to society. The Irish guy yesterday whose cousin the FF TD knew but said nothing and FF did nothing. 25 boys, multiple assaults and he gets roughly 6 months per assault. Shocking!! Surely if people were encouraged to report it earlier, these things could be caught earlier and only freed when they are no longer a danger to society. Even this feeble excuse of not naming the ‘ thing’ to protect the identity of the child needs to be stopped. It is more aimed at protecting the thing rather than the child and just let’s the thing off the hook.

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    Mute John O Mahony
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    May 23rd 2023, 8:01 PM

    No loss to society

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