The Court of Appeal has upheld prison sentences of between nine and 10 years imposed on three men convicted of raping an 18-year-old woman at Bull Island in Dublin.
In a judgment delivered on 23 July 2026, the court dismissed appeals by T.R., D.G. and D.R. against the severity of their sentences. T.R. had received nine-and-a-half years, D.G. nine years and D.R. 10 years. Each was also made subject to two years of post-release supervision under the Sex Offenders Act 2001.
The offences occurred on 5 January 2016. The court record states that the complainant, identified as M.D., had travelled to Dublin and later spent time in a city-centre internet café. CCTV showed the three appellants watching her there before she eventually agreed to leave with them in a car.
The group travelled to Bull Island. M.D. gave evidence that she repeatedly said she did not want sex. Each appellant was subsequently convicted of raping her in turn.
The sentencing judge identified substantial aggravating factors, including the concerted nature of the offending, the complainant's vulnerability, the planning involved in bringing her to an isolated location and the impact on her afterwards.
On appeal, the men argued that the headline sentences were excessive, that insufficient weight had been given to their youth and personal circumstances, and that part of the sentences should have been suspended to encourage rehabilitation.
The Court of Appeal rejected those arguments. It held that the original judge had already made a substantial reduction from the sentence appropriate to a mature adult offender because two appellants were 17 at the time and the third had only recently turned 18 and had a mild intellectual disability.
Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy said gang rape fell within the highest sentencing category. The court concluded that the sentences disclosed no error and, given the aggravating features, should if anything be regarded as lenient.