Accused man pleads not guilty to rape and sexual assault

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

The accused man (19) pleaded not guilty to one count of rape and one count of sexual assault. The alleged offences were said to have occurred in a town in Co Donegal on 18 March 2016.

The proceedings were reported on 3 July 2018. On that date, the girl, who was 16 at the time of the alleged offences, gave evidence on the first day of the trial at the Central Criminal Court. Ms Justice Deirdre Murphy presided.

The girl said she contacted a friend for help during the alleged incident. Messages sent to the friend afterwards were read out in court. The accused cannot be named for legal reasons, and the trial was continuing when reported.