Jury convicts two men of raping woman who "blacked out" at party

Two Leitrim men have been convicted by jury of serious sexual offences following an 11-day trial at the Central Criminal Court. The jury of nine men and three women deliberated for just over six hours before reaching majority verdicts. The first man was found guilty of rape, while the second was convicted of oral rape. The jury could not reach agreement on an additional rape charge against the second defendant. The prosecution alleged that the woman had consumed alcohol and cannabis at a party in 2017 and became unconscious, during which the men sexually assaulted her. The defendants maintained the woman was aware and consenting at the time. Both men pleaded not guilty to the charges. Ms Justice Eileen Creedon remanded both into custody pending sentence on 17 January. The men cannot be identified to protect the complainant's anonymity. Defence counsel sought bail given their young age, but the judge determined their remand status must change given the gravity of the convictions.