Trial date fixed for man accused of rape of young woman that left her with 'horrendous' and 'brutal' injuries

A man accused of the brutal rape of a young woman in Letterkenny last year will stand trial at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin in January, 2026.

A trial date has been fixed commencing on January 12, 2026.

The accused man is in his 20s and cannot be named at this point.

The man has appeared at various sittings of Letterkenny District Court both in person and by videolink.

Garda Sergeant Jim Collins recently told the court that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had consented that the accused be sent forward to the current sitting of the Central Criminal Court in Dublin.

Details of the direction were given in court by a translator in the Arabic language.

Detective Garda Lorna Doherty told the court she had served a book of evidence on the accused man's solicitor, Mr Patsy Gallagher.

The court had previously heard how the accused was arrested following an incident on Sunday, October 20, 2024, which left a woman with “horrendous” and “brutal” injuries.

The woman did not know her alleged attacker.

Detectives later conducted door-to-door enquiries and witnesses told of hearing a woman scream.

The defendant was later arrested by Gardai. During a swoop of the suspect’s address, Gardai found items of clothing heavily stained in blood.

The accused man is now facing four charges arising out of the alleged incident off Lower Main Street in Letterkenny.

He was charged with a count of the rape of a woman, contrary to section 4 of the Criminal Law (Rape) (Amendment) Act, 1990. 

He was also charged that he did intentionally or recklessly strangle the woman.

The charge is contrary to section 3A (1) (a) and 3 (3) of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997 (as inserted by section 21 of the Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2023).

Previously, he was charged another count of the rape of a woman, contrary to Section 4 of the Criminal Law (Rape) (Amendment) Act, 1990, and with assault causing harm, contrary to Section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997.

An application for bail for the accused was turned down by Judge Éiteáin Cunningham.

Gallagher, said he was requesting two counsel for the trial and said he was reserving his request for bail, noting that bail had already been refused in the High Court.

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