Legal argument in trial of teen accused of raping girl (16)

A trial at the Central Criminal Court concerning charges of rape and sexual assault allegedly committed in County Donegal in March 2016 has entered legal argument, with jury proceedings temporarily suspended. The accused, now aged 19, denies one count of rape and one of sexual assault involving a 16-year-old girl. The alleged incident occurred following St Patrick's Day celebrations in a Donegal town after the pair met at a takeaway. During evidence, the complainant described consuming several alcoholic drinks that evening and stated the accused suggested a walk, after which the alleged offences took place behind a nearby building. The court heard testimony regarding text messages the girl sent to a friend during the incident. The trial before Justice Deirdre Murphy is expected to resume with jury evidence tomorrow afternoon.