Courts / Galway / Report
Pair jailed over rape and sex assault of woman in van launch appeals over incorrect phone evidence
Summary
Two men from County Longford have appealed their convictions for rape and sexual assault at the Court of Appeal following issues with phone evidence presented at their trial. Karl Reilly of Aghara, Carrickboy was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment with eighteen months suspended for rape; Patrick McLoughlin received five years' imprisonment with eighteen months suspended for sexual assault. Both men had pleaded not guilty to charges relating to an incident in August 2017 at Galway. Their legal representatives argued that an erroneous timestamp on mobile phone records, discovered only after defence cross-examination was completed, prejudiced trial preparation and rendered proceedings unsatisfactory. They also contended that the trial should have been separated, given inconsistencies between the men's accounts to gardaí. The State's counsel submitted that the timing discrepancies were minor and did not alter the intervals between calls or the approximate timeline of events. Justice Patrick McCarthy reserved judgment on the appeals.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Pair jailed over rape and sex assault of woman in van launch appeals over incorrect phone evidence. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- August 5, 2017 Incident
- 2023-10-20 Publication
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Plea: Not guilty
Outcome: Karl Reilly (40) of Inny View, Aghara, Carrickboy, Co Longford, was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment with 18 months suspended for the single charge of raping the woman in the back of the van at a car park in the harbour area of the city on August 5, 2017. Patrick McLoughlin (36) was also sentenced to five years' imprisonment with 18 months suspended by Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring for the sole charge of sexual assault of the woman also in the back of the van.
Convicted Person
Plea: Not guilty
Outcome: Patrick McLoughlin (36) was also sentenced to five years' imprisonment with 18 months suspended by Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring for the sole charge of sexual assault of the woman also in the back of the van.
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