Two teenagers allegedly took turns raping semi-conscious woman in Dungannon, court told

Two teenagers allegedly took turns raping a semi-conscious woman they guided into a secluded underground carpark, the High Court heard on Monday. Prosecutors claimed the pair grinned at each other during the attack on the drunk and vulnerable victim in Dungannon, Co Tyrone last month. One of the accused, 18-year-old Alcino Soares, has insisted all sexual activity was consensual and that she “wanted it”.

Refusing his application for bail, a judge described the alleged incident as “predatory group activity”. Soares, of Braeside in Dungannon, faces charges of rape, sexual assault and two counts of aiding and abetting rape. The complainant contacted police to report she had been attacked in the earlier hours of September 10 while on a night out in the town with friends. She said two males approached her in the street and walked her to a nearby empty underground car park where the alleged repeated rapes were carried out. Crown lawyer Adrian Higgins told the court: “She recalls being intoxicated and stumbling into the area.” CCTV recordings from the scene showed her being assisted while extremely unsteady on her feet, the court heard. Mr Higgins claimed that a 17-year-old co-accused, who cannot be identified because of his age, raped the woman “while she was drifting in and out of consciousness”. Soares allegedly kept a lookout as the initial assault was carried out. But according to the prosecution he then took over, moving the woman to a nearby wall where she was raped again. “The two males can be seen interacting and smiling at each other,” counsel submitted. At one stage during the alleged ordeal one of them gestured for the other to take a photo. During police interviews Soares denied raping the woman. “He said all sexual activity was consensual and that the injured party wanted it,” Mr Higgins disclosed. “When asked about her being drunk, he described her as ‘50/50’.” Opposing the student’s bid to be released from custody, the lawyer contended that the CCTV footage showed it had been a predatory attack carried out with his co-accused. “They can be seen loitering on a busy street, identifying an intoxicated, vulnerable female and escorting her to a secluded car park before raping her,” he said. “The two acted in unison, one keeping an eye out while the other committed offences.” With the 17-year-old A defence barrister argued that Soares has fully cooperated with police and has no criminal record. Denying bail, however, Mr Justice Fowler cited a concern about ensuring public safety. He added: “The facts of this case are distressing.”

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