Man jailed for rape and oral rape in Leitrim

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

An unnamed man was sentenced to six and a half years for rape and oral rape at the Central Criminal Court, with the final 15 months suspended, on 29 April 2022.

He had pleaded not guilty to both charges and was convicted by a unanimous jury verdict after a trial in February 2022. Mr Justice Michael MacGrath set an eight-year headline sentence before imposing the six-and-a-half-year term.

The suspended portion was conditional on him having no direct or indirect contact with the victim, including through a third party or social media. The defence said he had offered to plead guilty to child defilement because the victim was intoxicated and unable to consent; counsel also said he appeared heavily intoxicated, but accepted that this was not an excuse.

The offences occurred at a party in Co Leitrim between 11 and 12 July 2020. The proceedings were reported on 29 April 2022.