Saturday 31 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. 17800Rape · Co. Donegal

Donegal man's appeal against rape conviction dismissed

A Donegal man, now 29, was convicted by a jury at the Central Criminal Court in January 2020 of four counts of rape of a teenage school girl. The offences took place on a night in July 2016 at two locations in County Donegal, and the victim, now in her 20s, was too drunk to resist. Ms Justice Tara Burns sentenced him to seven years in prison in January 2020. On 22 March 2024 a three-judge court dismissed his appeal outright after rejecting all grounds of appeal, which is the latest development.

  1. Reported
  2. Arrested
  3. Charged
  4. In court
  5. Verdict
  6. Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
A Donegal man was convicted of four counts of rape of a teenage school girl.
Where
The offences took place at two locations in County Donegal.
When
The offences took place on a night in July 2016.
Cause
The victim was too drunk to resist, according to the court.
Other details
The victim was a teenager at the time and is now in her 20s.
Charges
The man denied four counts of rape.
In court
  • A jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts on all counts after a trial in January 2020.
  • The man appealed his conviction, and sources differ on whether the appeal also covered his sentence.
  • One ground of appeal argued the trial judge did not address the closing speech of prosecution counsel.
  • The court rejected the ground of appeal about whether the complainant shouted the word stop.
  • On 22 March 2024 the three-judge court, led by Mr Justice Birmingham, was not persuaded to uphold any ground and dismissed the appeal outright.
Sentence
Ms Justice Tara Burns sentenced the man to seven years in prison at the Central Criminal Court in January 2020.
16 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatA man was convicted of repeatedly raping a teenage school girl. (thejournal.ie)
  • whatA Donegal man's appeal against his rape conviction has failed. (donegallive.ie)
  • whereThe four counts of rape occurred at two locations in County Donegal. (thejournal.ie)
  • whereThe rapes took place at two locations in County Donegal. (donegallive.ie)
  • whenThe rapes took place on a night in July 2016. (thejournal.ie, donegallive.ie)
  • causeThe victim was too drunk to resist. (thejournal.ie, donegallive.ie)
  • chargeThe man denied four counts of rape. (donegallive.ie)
  • courtA jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts on all counts after a trial in January 2020. (thejournal.ie, donegallive.ie)
  • courtThe man was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court in January 2020 by Ms Justice Tara Burns. (thejournal.ie)
  • courtThe man's grounds of appeal concerned the trial judge's handling of the prosecution's closing speech. (thejournal.ie)
  • courtThe three-judge court rejected all grounds of appeal and dismissed the appeal outright. (thejournal.ie)
  • courtThe man was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court in January 2020. (donegallive.ie)
  • courtThe three-judge court was not persuaded to uphold any ground of appeal and dismissed the appeal outright. (donegallive.ie)
  • sentenceThe man was jailed for seven years. (thejournal.ie, donegallive.ie)
  • otherOne ground of appeal argued the trial judge did not address the closing speech of prosecution counsel. (donegallive.ie)
  • otherThe court rejected the ground of appeal about whether the complainant shouted the word stop. (donegallive.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 23 Mar2024
    Otherdonegallive.ie, follow-up
    Donegal man’s appeal to overturn conviction for attacking teenage school girl fails

    Reports the Court's dismissal of the man's appeal against his rape conviction. Adds the grounds of appeal, the court's reasoning on each, and victim impact statement details. The offences were committed in July 2016, the trial was in January 2020, and sentencing was in January 2020 at the Central Criminal Court.

    convicted, 29, malevictim, 20s, female
  2. 22 Mar2024
    Otherthejournal.ie, first report
    Rapist's conviction for repeatedly attacking teenage school girl is upheld

    Reports that the three-judge court dismissed the man's appeal against his conviction and sentence for raping a teenage girl in July 2016.

    convicted, 29, malevictim, 20s, female