Peter Mulryan

Cook himself didn't take the stand.

Three days after Christmas, on the 28th of December 2002, the jury returned their verdict.

Cook was convicted on 31 sample sex abuse charges.

Weeks later, Siobhan returned to the court for sentencing.

And even at this stage, Cook was still trying his best to intimidate.

There was absolutely no remorse.

And on that day, we thought it was done and dusted.

In the months after his convictions, Eamon Cook was attacked in prison.

It's understood he was repeatedly and viciously kicked in his groin area.

He recovered from that attack and set about mounting a legal challenge and lodging numerous appeals against his conviction.

In his appeal, Cook managed to successfully argue against his convictions on the grounds of illegal technicality.

Oh, like talk about a kick in the stomach.

That was massive.

Jerry Kelly again.

The judge failed to warn the jury due to the passage of time that the witness's memories could be affected and the court criminal appeal held with him.

Although Anne could see the Court of Criminal Appeal had little alternative but to release Cook, that didn't make it any easier.

There wasn't any way around it, in particularly historical cases.

After waiting decades for justice and believing they had finally stopped Cook from abusing more children, this news was crushing for everyone involved in the trial, including Siobhan.

By 2006, Cook was a free man.

His convictions overturned, his name removed from the sex offenders register.