Unnamed man’s rape conviction quashed by Court of Appeal

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

The Court of Appeal quashed the unnamed man’s rape conviction on 28 June 2022, ruling that the trial judge’s interventions were likely to render the verdict unsafe. The alleged offence occurred at an address in Midleton, Co Cork, in August 2017.

The man had pleaded not guilty. A jury convicted him in September 2020, and the Central Criminal Court imposed a 10-year sentence, with the final three years suspended.

The appeal court said the judge had entered the arena to too great a degree. After the judgment, the State sought time to consider whether to seek a retrial; the man was remanded in custody with consent to bail subject to conditions.