Courts / Westmeath / Report
Three jailed for gang rape of schoolgirl want sentences reduced
Summary
The Court of Appeal has reserved judgment on appeals against the sentences of three men convicted of the gang rape of a 17-year-old student in December 2016. The defendants, Gabriel Gomes Da Rocha, Eduardo Dias Ferreira Filho, and Marcus De Silva Umbelino, were unanimously convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury. In June 2022, Ms Justice Tara Burns sentenced Da Rocha to 20 years, Ferreira Filho to 18 years, and Umbelino to 15 years, suspending the final year of each term. The appeals argue these sentences are excessive. Counsel for Da Rocha and Ferreira Filho contended the trial judge erred in categorizing the offending in the highest band, suggesting a 10-to-15-year range was appropriate given their ages and lack of prior convictions. For Umbelino, who was a minor at the time, counsel argued the reduction for youth was insufficient, citing UK guidelines. The Director of Public Prosecutions maintained the trial judge correctly applied the law and considered mitigating factors. The matter was adjourned pending the court's decision.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Three jailed for gang rape of schoolgirl want sentences reduced. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- June 2022 Incident
- December 27, 2016 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2025-12-09 Publication
Why: At the Court of Appeal today, counsel for Marcos Vinicius De Silva Umbelino argued his sentence should have been significantly reduced because he was a child at the time of the offending. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Outcome: She sentenced Ferreira Filho to an 18-year prison term while Da Rocha, who had raped the girl twice, was given a 20 year jail term. In Ferreira Filho's case, Mr Ó Lideadha said that while the offending was "very serious", the headline sentence of 20 years was "out of the appropriate range".
Appellant
Outcome: How could you take pleasure in doing something so horrific to another person?" Ms Justice Burns imposed a sentence of 15 years on Umbelino. Dominic McGinn SC, for Umbelino, said his client was a child at the time the offending occurred and that this had "ramifications in the way in which a sentence has to be imposed".
Places mentioned
- Central Criminal Court
- Court of Appeal
Topics
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