Courts / Donegal / Report
Court upholds conviction of Ghanian men for rape of student
Summary
Two men have had their convictions for rape upheld by the Court of Appeal. Boakye Osei, formerly of Burnfoot in County Donegal, and Kelvin Opoku, formerly of Letterkenny, were each sentenced to nine years' imprisonment in March 2020 following their conviction at the Central Criminal Court for the rape of a woman in February 2015. The appellants challenged their convictions on three grounds: that the trial judge should have discharged the jury following questioning about the complainant's alcohol consumption, that video-link evidence should not have been permitted, and that mobile phone material had not been adequately disclosed to the defence. The Court of Appeal, presided over by Mr Justice George Birmingham alongside Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, rejected all grounds of appeal. The court found the trial judge's rulings on disclosure, video evidence, and witness questioning to have been proper and appropriate. The judges concluded they were not persuaded the trial was unfair or the verdicts unsafe. Boakye Osei pleaded not guilty. Kelvin Opoku pleaded not guilty.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Court upholds conviction of Ghanian men for rape of student. Charges or matters: the rape of the woman in February 2015. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- February 2015 Hearing Or Sentence
- March 2020 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2022-03-14 Publication
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Charges: the rape of the woman in February 2015 (Alleged Or Contested)
Plea: Not guilty
Outcome: The jury found them guilty, however, and both men, who are originally from Ghana, were each sentenced to nine years' imprisonment by Mr Justice Alex Owens in March 2020.
Convicted Person
Charges: the rape of the woman in February 2015 (Alleged Or Contested)
Plea: Not guilty
Outcome: The jury found them guilty, however, and both men, who are originally from Ghana, were each sentenced to nine years' imprisonment by Mr Justice Alex Owens in March 2020.
Places mentioned
- Midlands Prison
- Central Criminal Court
- Court of Appeal
Topics
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