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. 20383Rape · Co. Westmeath · 20 Jan 2019

Man jailed for ten years for rape of teenage girl in Westmeath

A man, now 33, was convicted of raping a 15-and-a-half-year-old girl at an unoccupied apartment in a town in County Westmeath on 20 January 2019 after the pair had been drinking together. The girl disclosed the incident to gardaí through a hospital a few days later after an altercation. He was found guilty by a Central Criminal Court jury in 2023 of a single count of rape. On 10 July 2023, he was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment, with the final year suspended for three years with probation supervision.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Verdictnot reported
  6. Sentenced10 Jul
    2 reports
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
  • A man, aged 29 at the time, raped a 15-and-a-half-year-old girl at an unoccupied apartment in a town in County Westmeath on 20 January 2019.
  • The pair were known to each other and the girl and her friend were invited for a drink, after which the accused and complainant were left alone.
  • The man pulled down the girl's leggings and pushed her over a couch before raping her while she was shouting at him to stop and he used abusive language.
Where
The pair climbed in through the window of the unoccupied apartment.
Investigation
A few days later the girl went to hospital for injuries after an altercation and the hospital reported the matter to gardaí after she disclosed the earlier events.
In court
The man was convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury in 2023 of a single count of rape.
Sentence
On 10 July 2023, the man was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment, with the final year suspended for three years with probation supervision.
Other details
  • The man, now 33, has prior convictions for assault, violent disorder, public order and road traffic offences but no prior convictions of a sexual nature.
  • A forensic psychological report outlined a history of anxiety and depression, drug and alcohol misuse, and a low range of intellectual functioning.
  • The man does not accept the jury's verdict and the girl did not make a victim impact statement.
31 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatThe man was aged 29 at the time of the rape and the girl was 15-and-a-half years old. (thejournal.ie)
  • whatThe pair were known to each other and the young woman and her friend were invited for a drink with the accused man. (thejournal.ie)
  • whatThere were initially four people present but later the accused and the complainant were left alone. (thejournal.ie)
  • whatHe pulled down her leggings and pushed her over a couch before raping her. (thejournal.ie, offalyexpress.ie)
  • whatShe was shouting at him to stop while he used abusive language towards her. (thejournal.ie)
  • whatThe man confirmed he had been in the apartment but denied sexual contact with the girl. (thejournal.ie)
  • whatThe man was 29 at the time of the rape. (offalyexpress.ie)
  • whatThe girl was 15-and-a-half years old at the time. (offalyexpress.ie)
  • whatThe girl and her friend were invited for a drink with the accused man. (offalyexpress.ie)
  • whatInitially four people were present but later the accused and complainant were left alone. (offalyexpress.ie)
  • whatThe man tried to kiss the girl but she said no. (offalyexpress.ie)
  • whatThe girl was shouting at him to stop while he used abusive language towards her. (offalyexpress.ie)
  • whereThey climbed in through the window of an unoccupied apartment. (thejournal.ie, offalyexpress.ie)
  • whereThe rape took place at an address in a town in County Westmeath. (offalyexpress.ie)
  • whenThe rape took place at an address in a town in Co Westmeath on 20 January 2019. (thejournal.ie)
  • whenThe rape occurred on 20 January 2019. (offalyexpress.ie)
  • investigationA few days later she went to hospital for injuries after an altercation and the hospital reported the matter to gardaí after she disclosed the earlier events. (thejournal.ie)
  • investigationThe hospital reported the matter to gardaí after the girl disclosed the earlier events. (offalyexpress.ie)
  • courtThe man was convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury earlier this year of a single count of rape in Co Westmeath in 2019. (thejournal.ie)
  • courtThe defence submitted the case fell into the mid-range of a six to eight year headline sentence. (thejournal.ie)
  • courtThe man was convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury of the single count of rape. (offalyexpress.ie)
  • sentenceThe man was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment. (offalyexpress.ie)
  • sentenceThe final year of the sentence was suspended for three years with probation supervision. (offalyexpress.ie)
  • otherThe man has prior convictions for assault, violent disorder, public order and road traffic offences but no prior convictions of a sexual nature. (thejournal.ie)
  • otherA forensic psychological report outlined a history of anxiety and depression, drug and alcohol misuse, and a low range of intellectual functioning. (thejournal.ie)
  • otherThe man does not accept the jury's verdict. (offalyexpress.ie)
  • otherThe girl did not make a victim impact statement. (offalyexpress.ie)
  • otherThe man had a history of anxiety and depression. (offalyexpress.ie)
  • otherThe man had a history of drug and alcohol misuse. (offalyexpress.ie)
  • otherThe man had a low range of intellectual functioning. (offalyexpress.ie)
  • otherThe pair were known to each other. (offalyexpress.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 10 Jul2023
    Sentencedoffalyexpress.ie, first report
    Man who took advantage of a teenage girl in the Midlands after they had been drinking together jailed for rape

    Reports the sentencing at Central Criminal Court, including the judge's remarks on the man's opportunistic conduct and verbal abuse, the DPP's view that the case fell in the more serious category (10–15 years), the defence submission for a mid-range 6–8 year sentence, the man's prior convictions and mental health history, and the circumstances of the incident and its reporting to gardaí.

    victim, 15-and-a-half, femaleconvicted, 33, male
  2. 10 Jul2023
    Sentencedthejournal.ie, first report
    Westmeath man jailed for 10 years for raping teenage girl after they had been drinking together

    Sentencing report detailing the 10-year term with final year suspended, prosecution and defence submissions on the appropriate sentencing range, and the background of the incident including how the pair met and the sequence of events in the apartment.

    victim, 15, femaleconvicted, 33, male