Courts / Wexford / Report

Student jailed for raping woman on walk home from pub

Date
2025-03-18
Stage
Sentence
Primary locality
Gorey
County
Wexford

Summary

Michael Molloy, a 25‑year‑old architecture student from Gorey, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment for raping a 20‑year‑old woman in a laneway on the night of 1 November 2021. The victim, who had previously known Molloy from school, was forced into sexual activity after he walked her home from a pub. She resisted, but Molloy forced her against a wall, digitally penetrated her, and orally raped her. The court found him guilty on counts of rape, oral rape and sexual assault. Molloy maintained his innocence, claiming the acts were consensual. He was sentenced by Mr Justice Paul Burns to a headline term of seven years, reduced to six years with the final year suspended, and will remain under probation supervision for three years. The victim described lasting psychological effects and a loss of confidence following the assault.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Student jailed for raping woman on walk home from pub. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Found guilty

When:

Case subjects

Michael Molloy

Convicted Person

Finding: Found guilty

Outcome: Found guilty; Molloy, who appeared emotional in the dock during the sentence hearing, maintains his innocence and does not accept the verdicts of the jury, the court heard. He reduced this to six years, taking mitigation into account, before suspending the final year of that sentence on a number of conditions, including that Molloy remain under the supervision of the Probation Service for three years.

Places mentioned

Residence
Court Venue
  • Central Criminal Court
Incident

Topics

Stage Sentence Violent Crime

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