Courts / Meath / Report
Appeal barrister claims victim 'might have turned something that wasn't a rape into rape'
Summary
Matthew Fadeyi, a father of three from Navan, Co Meath, appeared before the Court of Appeal to challenge his conviction for rape. He was convicted of one count of rape following a retrial in May 2024, after a jury failed to reach a verdict in his initial 2021 trial. The incident, alleged to have occurred in August 2018, involved sexual intercourse in the back of a car with a significantly younger acquaintance. Fadeyi was sentenced by Mr Justice Kerida Naidoo to six years and six months in prison, with the final year suspended. His counsel, Barra McGrory KC, argued the trial was prejudiced because gardaí failed to take statements from the victim's parents, who discovered emergency contraception pills. Counsel suggested this omission prevented testing the consistency of the complaint, claiming the victim might have altered her account under pressure. The State, represented by Ronan Kennedy SC, rejected this as "transcript trawling," noting the defence had not raised this issue during the original trial and had admitted evidence of recent complaint. The State emphasized that the victim disclosed the incident to others immediately. Ms Justice Tara Burns reserved judgment, meaning the matter was adjourned and not concluded.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Appeal barrister claims victim 'might have turned something that wasn't a rape into rape'. Charges or matters: one count of rape following a retrial in May 2024, with a jury unable to reach a verdict in Fadeyi's first trial in 2021. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Convicted
When:
- August 21, 2018 Hearing Or Sentence
- May 2024 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2025-12-15 Publication
Why: A father of three jailed for the rape of a young woman in the back of his car has argued that his trial was prejudiced because gardai failed to take statements from the victim's parents. CNI source report
Case subjects
Appellant
Charges: one count of rape following a retrial in May 2024, with a jury unable to reach a verdict in Fadeyi's first trial in 2021 (Proven)
Finding: Convicted
Outcome: Convicted; A father of three jailed for the rape of a young woman in the back of his car has argued that his trial was prejudiced because gardai failed to take statements from the victim's parents. He was sentenced by Mr Justice Kerida Naidoo to six years and six months in prison, with the final year suspended.
Places mentioned
- Court of Appeal
- Birch Drive
- Navan
Topics
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