Aidan Kestell sentenced to eight years for rape

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

Aidan Kestell was sentenced to eight years in prison, with six months suspended, after being found guilty of raping Paula Doyle. He was sentenced in March 2024.

The rape took place in Dublin in September 2019. Kestell’s trial lasted four days in February 2024, and Doyle gave evidence by video link.

There was no stalking charge. The report said messages and videos sent to Doyle between 2018 and 2019 were used by the prosecution as evidence of Kestell’s obsession. It said Kestell’s defence was, at one point, that he fell on top of Doyle and intercourse happened by accident; at another time, he claimed they were having an affair.

Doyle later worked with the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre to highlight the effects of sexual violence and delays in the justice system. The proceedings were reported on 28 January 2025, when Kestell was serving his sentence.