Missing evidence in landmark human trafficking trial, appeal told

A woman convicted of human trafficking, one of the first such convictions in the State, has appealed her conviction on grounds of missing evidence, the Court of Appeal heard today. Alicia Edosa and Edith Enoghaghase, both Nigerian nationals, were found guilty in June 2021 at Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court of trafficking women from Nigeria into prostitution across multiple Irish locations including Castlebar, Cavan and Letterkenny between 2016 and 2018. They received sentences of five years eight months and five years one month respectively. Edosa's appeal challenges the handling of deleted text messages from phones provided by complainants, with her counsel arguing gardaí failed to retrieve their contents from service providers despite potential significance to the trial. The Director of Public Prosecutions disputes this, contending the jury properly considered available evidence. The State simultaneously appeals the sentences as unduly lenient, seeking terms comparable to jurisdictions such as England and Wales. Judgment on Edosa's conviction appeal and the sentencing appeals has been reserved. Enoghaghase's conviction appeal will be heard subsequently.