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.

An unnamed man’s rape conviction was quashed by the Court of Appeal, reported on 22 January 2024.

The appeal court found that the trial judge’s comments to the jury about the man’s silence during police interviews affected his right to silence and could not be remedied by a re-charge.

The conviction followed a jury trial in November 2021. In May 2022, the Central Criminal Court sentenced him to seven years, with the final three and a half years suspended.

The Court of Appeal adjourned the matter to 16 February for submissions on whether there should be a retrial.