Four convicted of range of sex offences against 17-year-old girl
April 22, 2022 · By Orla O'Donnell, Legal Affairs Correspondent for www.rte.ie
(L-R) Gabriel Gomes Da Rocha, Eduardo Dias Ferreira Filho, Ethan Nikolaou, Marcus Da Silva Umbelino (Images: Collins Photo Agency)
Four convicted of range of sex offences against 17-year-old girl
Four young men have been convicted at the Central Criminal Court of a range of sexual offences against a 17-year-old girl in the midlands in December 2016. A fifth man had earlier pleaded guilty to rape.
The trial judge paid tribute to the “very, very brave young woman” who gave evidence during the trial of the four men.
The four men were all found guilty of sexual assaulting the girl in the early hours of 27 December 2016.
The incidents happened near Kilbeggan in Co Westmeath and near Tullamore in Co Offaly.
Three of the men were found guilty of raping her. Two were convicted of falsely imprisoning her in a car.
22-year-old Marcus De Silva Umbelino from Block C Riverview, Kilbeggan, Co Westmeath, was convicted of raping and sexually assaulting the girl. He was found not guilty of falsely imprisoning her.
24-year-old Eduardo Dias Ferreiera Filho from Block D Riverview, Kilbeggan, Co Westmeath, was convicted of oral rape, and of sexually assaulting and falsely imprisoning the girl.
24-year-old Gabriel Gomes Da Rocha from Mount Armstrong, Rahan, Tullamore, Co Offaly, was convicted of raping her at two different locations as well as sexually assaulting her and falsely imprisoning her.
23-year-old Ethan Nikolaou from Brosna Park, Kilbeggan, Co Westmeath, was convicted of two counts of sexual assault.
24-year-old Conor Byrne of Ballybeg, Moate, Co Westmeath, pleaded guilty at an earlier date to a charge of rape.
The men were remanded in custody and will be sentenced at the end of next month when the victim impact evidence will also be heard.
Ms Justice Tara Burns told the victim she was a “very, very brave young woman”.
The judge said she was “beyond impressed” with how she had conducted herself with “absolute dignity” during the trial. She said she hoped this portion of her life could now be put behind her.
The judge exempted the jurors from further jury service for the rest of their lives.
She said this was not something she usually did but she was doing it in this case because of the “horrendous” and “harrowing” evidence they had to listen to.
The jury found each accused not guilty on some counts. They took just under nine hours to reach unanimous verdicts.
The girl, who is now in her early 20s, had tears in her eyes as the verdicts were announced.
The families of the young men sobbed, held their hands and hugged them. There was loud sobbing as the men were led away after being remanded in custody.
The court heard the wife of one of the men is pregnant and due to give birth soon.
