Westmeath man jailed for rape of teenage girl

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

A Westmeath man was jailed for 10 years, with the final year suspended, for raping a teenage girl at the Central Criminal Court, reported on 10 July 2023.

The man, who cannot be identified to protect the girl’s identity, was convicted by a jury of rape after they were left alone in an apartment in Co Westmeath. The judge said he had taken advantage of the situation and had been aware of her approximate age.

The judge also considered the verbal abuse used during the attack and the girl’s physical injuries. In mitigation, he considered a psychological report describing anxiety, depression, drug and alcohol misuse, and low intellectual functioning.

The final year of the sentence was suspended for three years, with probation supervision during that period. The man does not accept the jury’s verdict.