Wednesday 28 October 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 0080Rape, oral rape, sexual assault · Co. Dublin · 31 Aug 2019

Convicted gang rapists appeal at Court of Appeal over screen and jury direction

A woman was raped, orally raped and sexually assaulted in a car and in a house in Dublin on 31 August 2019 after going to a nightclub. Anthony Hickey (41), Fabio Vicente (43) and Matin Zolfaghari (36) were convicted at the Central Criminal Court in February 2025 and sentenced in March 2025 to 14 and 16 years' imprisonment. In October 2026 the three men appealed at the Court of Appeal, arguing the trial was prejudiced by the complainant giving evidence behind a screen and that the trial judge's response to a jury question on recklessness versus carelessness was inadequate. The three-judge court reserved judgment.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In court22 Oct
  5. Verdict
  6. Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
  • Three men were convicted of rape, oral rape and sexual assault of a woman in a car and in a house in Dublin on 31 August 2019.
  • The woman recalled being in the back of a vehicle she believed to be a taxi with up to four men where she was raped, and later lying in a bed while a man was on top of her.
Where
The offences took place in a car and in a house in Dundrum, Dublin.
When
The woman went to a nightclub in the early hours of 31 August 2019 before the offences.
Charges
Hickey was convicted of raping the woman in his Dundrum address and of orally raping and sexually assaulting her in a car, while Zolfaghari was convicted of orally raping her in the house.
In court
  • At trial the jury asked whether being careless is the same as being reckless under rape laws, and the trial judge repeated verbatim the same charge he had given the jury days before.
  • The three men were convicted at the Central Criminal Court in February 2025 after pleading not guilty.
  • In October 2026 the three men appealed at the Court of Appeal, arguing the complainant giving evidence behind a screen was prejudicial and that the judge should have given a clearer explanation on recklessness versus carelessness.
  • The three-judge Court of Appeal reserved judgment.
Sentence
In March 2025 Zolfaghari was sentenced to 14 years with one suspended, and Hickey and Vicente were each jailed for 16 years with one year suspended.
Other details
  • Hickey had 10 previous convictions.
  • The woman vetoed the option of giving remote evidence via video-link.
18 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatThe three men were convicted in February 2025 at the Central Criminal Court. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThey pleaded not guilty to offences that took place in a car and in a Dublin house on 31 August 2019. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe woman recalled being in the back of a vehicle she believed to be a taxi with up to four men. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe woman remembered being raped in the back of the taxi and thought she may have been raped there a second time. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatA man she believed to be a taxi driver opened the door, unbuttoned his trousers and raped her. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe woman remembered lying in a bed and kicking out while a male was on top of her. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatShe woke the next morning and Hickey was asleep beside her in the bed. (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe woman went to a nightclub in the early hours of 31 August 2019. (irishtimes.com)
  • chargeZolfaghari was convicted of the oral rape of the woman in the house. (irishtimes.com)
  • chargeHickey was convicted of raping the woman in his then address in Dundrum and of orally raping and sexually assaulting her in a car. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe jury returned with a question as to whether being careless is the same as being reckless under rape laws. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe trial judge repeated verbatim the same charge he had given the jury days before. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe three-judge court reserved judgment to a later date. (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceZolfaghari was sentenced to 14 years in prison with one suspended by Judge Paul Burns in March 2025. (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceHickey was jailed for 16 years with one year suspended. (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceVicente was jailed for 16 years with one year suspended. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherHickey had 10 previous convictions. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe woman vetoed the option of giving remote evidence via video-link. (irishtimes.com)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 22 Oct2026
    In courtirishtimes.com, follow-up
    Convicted gang rapists say trial was prejudiced by allowing woman to give evidence behind screen

    Reports the Court of Appeal hearing where the three convicted rapists raised two grounds of appeal: the use of a screen for the complainant and the trial judge's response to a jury question on recklessness versus carelessness. DPP counsel argued both were properly handled. Judgment reserved.

    victim, femaleconvicted, Anthony Hickey, 41, male, named, irish (judged from name)Anthony Hickeyconvicted, Fabio Vicente, 43, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Fabio Vicenteconvicted, Matin Zolfaghari, 36, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Matin Zolfaghari